


Survival Instinct

by Speechless



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha Harry, Alpha Liam, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst, Beta Zayn, Bottom Louis, Forced Bonding, Hate to Love, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Louis, Omega Niall, Top Harry, a/b/o dynamics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-02-07 07:17:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 38
Words: 85,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12836067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Speechless/pseuds/Speechless
Summary: After an unknown virus kills most of the world population, Louis needs to find a way to survive and keep the rest of his pack alive.Harry, a young pack leader, managed to create a peaceful village in a safe territory.He seems to be the perfect solution to all of Louis' problems. He just doesn't know it yet.





	1. The village

It's almost like stepping in another dimension.

In Louis' world you have to be lucky enough to catch a fish or find a poor bird that fell out of its nest in order to have a meal. You have to hide in tall grass or in an abandoned building and sleep only through half of the night, 'cause the other half of it is going to be spent with eyes wide open, making sure nothing bad happens while the others are getting some rest.

In his world you could die any moment, bitten by a walker, shot by another scared survivor or, who the fuck knows, falling down and hitting your head on a rock because you were too damn tired to keep walking.

But this place is something else.

These motherfuckers have houses. They have clean clothes and they all look healthy and calm, not a single fuck to give about the majority of the world population being wiped out by some sort of creepy virus that nobody knows nothing about.

They have a stupid garden with stupid carrots or something growing inside of it.

He can't believe his own eyes.

 

 

 

Something is wrong. Harry can feel it in his bones.

Zayn is only background noise at this point. He thinks he can smell something, he is just not sure what it is. Or who it is.

He can't risk having outsiders breaking in right now. Most of the alphas left to look for new resources and they won't be back before sunset.

He stands up and focuses his gaze on the trees that surround the area, to that point where the scent  seems to be coming from.

What the hell is it.

He hears a twig snapping under somebody's feet and suddenly every single muscle in his body is ready for action.

"What's with you, Harry? I was talking to you, in case you didn't notice."

"Shut up, Zayn. Did you hear that?"

Of course not. Zayn is different, he is a beta. Harry is genetically engineered to hear the softest noise, smell the faintest scent, feel an unwanted presence.

And he is a hundred percent sure that somebody is watching them right now.

 

 

 

Here we go.

Big wolf boy is getting angry. Louis always finds it amusing.

The way alphas get tense if they hear someone sneezing or if they smell so much as a fart.

Poor things. Constantly on edge.

Time to quit the hide and seek game, before this freak tackles him to the ground.

 

 

 

 

"How many people are we talking about?"

This alpha looks more relaxed than the other one. He introduced himself to Louis and he offered him a glass of milk. They have goats. This place is so damn weird.

His name is Greg.

"Eleven people including myself."

Greg raises his eyebrows, he looks at the other guy.

"What do you think, Harry?"

"I think you are not asking the right questions."

Harry ignores Greg's disappointed look and he gets closer to Louis.

The omega feels overwhelmed for a second: the alpha's scent is strong and his attitude is quite intimidating. He knows that's exactly what he's trying to do, to make sure Louis doesn't lie to him.

"How many alphas."

Louis was expecting that. Obviously omegas and betas are not seen as a threat but alphas, on the other hand, won't be perceived as harmless guests.

"Just two."

"Could be worse." Greg comments, looking at Harry again, hoping to get some approval.

But the alpha doesn't seem very convinced.

 

 

 

He doesn't like this.

The omega looks a bit too confident. He is probably hiding something.

Is Harry supposed to believe there are only two alphas in his pack, when he's not showing any sign of fear or submission standing in front of him? He is positive nothing will happen to him.

That's never good.

Besides, his scent is pretty annoying and distracting. He hasn't been claimed by an alpha yet.

"Do they have a mate? I can't have horny alphas walking around my territory."

The omega doesn't reply but that says enough.

"You can't be here. You're gonna have to find another place to live."

Louis starts laughing at that point, shaking his head in disbelief.

"And where do you expect us to go? You have a holiday paradise in the middle of a fucking apocalypse going on here and you won't share it with anyone?! What's wrong with you?"

Harry bares his teeth at the omega. He won't allow this.

"I am protecting my people." his tone is firm, his eyes filled with anger.

Greg jumps up and he stands in front of Louis, trying to contain the situation.

"All right you two, calm down."

He sighs, gently pushing Harry a few steps away from the stranger.

Then he turns to face Louis, noticing immediately his chest going up and down a lot faster. Great.

Now that he's scared, making a good impression on him will sure be a lot easier.

He puts a hand on the omega's shoulder but he's soon pushed away.

"I thought you would try to help us. I've kept running for two days straight to get over here, while my pack is alone, starving and trying to keep the omegas alive. Some of them are wounded and sick and all you do is try to send me back to where I came from and go back to your fairytale lives. Who is your leader? Let me talk to him!"

Greg tries to stop him but the omega is definitely stubborn. He walks up to Harry, staring in his eyes.

He's still scared. Harry feels it. His scent changed.

"Let me talk to him."

The alpha smiles at him, then he sticks out his hand.

"Nice to meet you. I'm the leader of this pack."

 


	2. The barn

It only takes two hours before the other alphas talk some sense into him and he ends up agreeing with them.  
  
They are going to help them but it is only going to be a temporary situation.  
  
Harry was pretty clear on that.  
  
Once they are fed and back on their feet they can disappear forever or even die a minute later for all he cares.  
  
As long as they leave.  
  
It is not a good time to expand their pack, especially considering recent events.  
  
"It is not safe for you either." He explains, following the omega into the woods.  
  
Louis shrugs, not bothering to comment on that.  
  
Harry bites his lip, not sure he should keep talking.  
  
But it's the truth, isn't it? It's not only about him being the bad guy here.  
  
There's more than one reason why they can't stay.  
  
"We've lost two omegas. They disappeared."  
  
That finally seems to grasp Louis' attention. He stops walking and he turns around.  
  
"What do you mean? Where did they go?"  
  
"That's the point. We don't know that."  
  
They stare at each other in silence for a moment, until Louis starts walking again, still focused on reaching the rest of his pack as soon as possible. This can't change his mind.  
  
"You could have told me which way to go and it would have saved us both a lot of time. You're slow."  
  
Louis should be offended by that, but all he can do is smile at the alpha.  
  
"And you think that would work?"  
  
He keeps walking, cause he knows the alpha can still hear him clearly, even though he's a few steps behind.  
  
Checking for threats while Louis leads the way. He let him keep his knife, in case a walker appears in front of him before Harry can react. Greg insisted about giving him a gun but that was just stupid. Harry is not that naive.  
  
"Let's say you find them. The first thing they notice is that I am not with you. How do they know I'm still alive? How do you know they won't kill you, just in case?"  
  
"I'd love to see them try."  
  
Louis grunts, fighting the urge to kick his smug ass right in the middle of the forest. That probably wouldn't help very much.  
  
"You think you can take two alphas?"  
  
Harry moves quickly behind him and before he knows it, he's walking beside him.  
  
"And you think that what you're doing makes me feel more comfortable about having them among my people?"  
  
Touché. He is acting kinda dumb, now that he thinks about it.  
  
"They will cooperate, don't worry. We're just trying to stay alive."  
  
Harry frowns, but he doesn't say anything.  
  
He still hates this. Something tells him he's gonna regret it.  
  
  


 

"How come there are no walkers here? I haven't seen any while I was coming. We've been travelling for hours, and still nothing."  
  
He turns while walking, to meet Harry's eyes.  
  
He's got a satisfied smile on his face.  
  
"I told you. I protect my people."  
  
Louis keeps looking at him, waiting for more information.  
  
"We are very organized. The whole area is patrolled by alphas. We kill enemies before they can get close. Simple as that."  
  
They stop an hour later, when Louis' stomach starts grumbling and Harry refuses to keep going until he eats something.  
  
"I can eat and walk at the same time, you know?" he spits out, crossing his arms on his chest.  
  
Harry hands him a sandwich and points at the grass.  
  
"Just sit your ass and eat. I'm not patient enough to help you after you faint."  
  
He's not used to omegas being this cocky around him. Louis is probably no ordinary omega, if his life is as hard as he says. The omegas in his pack don't struggle that much. They eat three meals a day and sleep peacefully through the night. They have no reason to rebel or go away.  
  
The ones that are missing did not leave voluntarily, he is sure about that.  
  
He devours his meal in three bites and stands up immediately after, wiping his hands on his jeans.  
  
"Can we go now?"  
  
Harry slowly shakes his head.  
  
"You have no manners, do you?"  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. You expected me to munch on that for a couple hours? I have no time to be delicate or cute. Let's go."  
  
Harry lets it go, keeping his comments to himself. There is no reasoning with this one.  
  
The sun is still shining but Harry figures they're gonna have to stop soon.  
  
The omega's eyesight is not sharp enough to find the right way in the dark.  
  
He can see a barn a few steps ahead and he whistles, seeking Louis' attention.  
  
"I am not a poodle." he yells in response "if you have something to say to me, you can call me by my name."  
  
  


 

"Stop, Louis!" he orders.  
  
Is this guy for real? He is probably used to omegas kissing his ass all day.  
  
He stops anyway, wiping sweat off his forehead and catching his breath a second. He's starting to feel so tired all of a sudden.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Harry moves towards him and he puts a hand on his face.  
  
"You look like shit."  
  
Louis slaps his hand away and he moves a bit further from him. He doesn't like alphas standing too close to him.  
  
"You are such a gentleman. I'm hungry again. What else you got in that satchel?"  
  
"I'll give you another sandwich if we stop for today. You need to rest. You're not as strong as you like to think."  
  
Louis wants to punch him so bad. Jesus, he loves playing tough guy, doesn't he? What a fucking moron.  
  
"You don't tell me what I need."  
  
"You look fatigued and weak. Maybe you're not stopping but I am. You can find me in that barn over there."  
  
  
  
  


"That food was supposed to last for two days." Harry scolds him, giving Louis his fourth sandwich.  
  
He only had one, keeping the last one in case the omega gets hungry again. He can function properly without food for much longer, it won't be a problem.  
  
"I hadn't eaten in days. But you probably don't know what it means, do you." he replies, still chewing on a huge bite.  
  
Harry looks at him, lost in thought.  
  
He still seems pretty weak to him. He sure is a fighter. Harry wonders how many more miles it would have taken before he'd finally give up. He's glad he just listened to him. They would be sleeping under a tree now if he let him win. That would have made them too vulnerable.  
  
He needs to keep him alive in order to solve this mess as easily as possible.  
  
Louis takes his jacket off and he folds it, to use it as a pillow.  
  
He is still chewing what's left of his dinner.  
  
"You're gonna have to sleep outside." he affirms, laying down and closing his eyes.  
  
"I won't touch you." Harry reassures him. He is all the way across from him, on the other side of the barn. He sat there not to make him feel uncomfortable.  
  
"Oh, but you will." Louis insists.  
  
Harry takes a deep breath, rubbing his temples in circular motions. All this bickering is giving him a fucking headache.  
  
"And why is that? Let me guess...'Cause you're so hot that nobody can resist you?"  
  
He can hear him giggling and for a moment he seriously considers leaving him there as a viable option.  
  
"That too. But it's not what I meant."  
  
All of a sudden it hits him.  
  
His nostrils flare and a wave of arousal engulfs him.  
  
His pupils dilate and his tone gets darker. He clenches his fists.  
  
"You're...you're going into heat."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut is on the way <3


	3. The bait

He's about to step out but he can't help it.  
  
He has to state the obvious.  
  
"You do realize it could be a lot easier if you let me..."  
  
"Fuck me? Thank you, but no, thank you." Louis cuts him off.  
  
Harry grunts and grits his teeth.  
  
"You said you are on suppressants. And the last thing on my mind is bonding you. Nothing bad will happen."  
  
"Are you still here?"  
  
Harry growls low in his throat, completely still.  
  
The omega stands up on wobbly legs, trying to look careless when he actually is already a wreck.  
  
Harry is surprised at himself. He is still in control, even with his sweet, inviting scent stuck in his nose. He had to learn how to ignore it. Lots of omegas around.  
  
But this, this is different.  
  
He can't go too far, risking another alpha smelling him and invading his territory. He can't be too close, 'cause in a small amount of time Louis is just gonna get worse and with that scent haunting him, his will power will be completely gone, just like that.  
  
He hears his voice, shaky and high pitched.  
  
"Do you want me that bad? How many more times do I need to reject you?"  
  
Harry slams the door and starts walking away.  
  
  
  


He gets to the stream in twenty minutes.  
  
A deer senses his presence and quickly lifts its head up.  
  
He could kill it and make sure they have enough food for the next days. The animal starts running away and Harry decides to save his energies in the end.  
  
He's gonna find time to catch something and feed Louis tomorrow.  
  
They can't keep going anyway. Not while the omega is in heat. Harry needs to keep him fed and hydrated. And safe, of course.  
  
He takes his clothes off to have a quick bath. The water is freezing cold but there's not much he can do about that. Hopefully it's gonna help tame his raging hard-on.  
  
He fills up two bottles with water and he goes back.  
  
He's about a mile from the barn and he can already smell him. All of a sudden he is not sure he should go any further.  
  
He makes up his mind when, several steps ahead, he hears him almost screaming.  
  
He needs to get there as soon as possible.  
  
Louis's breath is heavy. He can hear it loud and clear, even if the door is still closed.  
  
The omega can feel him standing there, 'cause he starts whining more, desperately asking for his help.  
  
"Oh, now you want me to help you." Harry whispers, pushing the door open.  
  
He was not ready for this.  
  
Sure, he's seen an omega in heat before. He knows you can't fight it and the best thing you can do is fuck them through their heat. Arousal can soon transform into pain if the omega doesn't get knotted.  
  
Louis is definitely in pain. And fuck, he is definitely aroused.  
  
He's completely naked, shoving three fingers inside his hole to find relief, but failing. He is most likely hurting himself in the process.  
  
As soon as he sees Harry he rolls over, offering himself to the alpha.  
  
Harry's brain shuts down for a minute.  
  
All he can smell is Louis. All he can see is Louis. All he wants is...  
  
"Louis...do you want me to...?"  
  
The omega arches his back and he calls for him, and that is enough for Harry to completely lose it.  
  
"Harry. I can't...I thought..."  
  
  
  


 

He feels two big hands gripping his hips and roughly pulling him back.  
  
He's on all fours now, nothing on his brain except for one thing.  
  
"Inside me. Please."  
  
He hears harry unzipping his pants and he could swear something in his brain just exploded.  
  
He's going nuts.  
  
"Stay still." the alpha warns him, softly biting on his shoulder.  
  
Louis shivers and obeys, he's just too out of his mind to even try and fight this.  
  
He can feel the wetness dripping down his thighs, the alpha's breath against his burning skin.  
  
"Fuck." he chokes out, when he realizes Harry's cockhead is poking his hole.  
  
How is he supposed to stay still when this fucker is teasing him so much.  
  
"Will you just fuck me already?!"  
  
  
  


 

"Stop screaming. And stop moving. I don't wanna hurt you." Harry whispers, still rubbing his cock against his rim.  
  
The omega moans. Harry starts pushing inside him and it feels so fucking good Louis might scream his lungs out. But he doesn't. He goes completely silent, so much Harry has to snap out of his own bliss to check on him.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asks, nuzzling his neck. Jesus, he smells amazing.  
  
Louis mewls something, but Harry can't understand him. It's probably not that important, considering that he's now pushing back on his cock, trying to take more in.  
  
Harry feels his little hole clenching around him and the urge to fuck his brains out is so strong he needs to zone out and recollect himself for a second.  
  
He pushes a bit more in but Louis whines in discomfort.  
  
"Hurts." He cries, still pushing back despite that.  
  
"I need you to turn around then. Lay on your back."  
  
Louis would rather get killed right now then let his cock slip out of him. He tries to keep him from moving but he can't do much to stop the alpha. The moment Harry pulls out Louis starts crying and the alpha needs to physically grab him and turn him around.  
  
Louis is gasping for air, incapable to do just anything but ask for him to get back inside.  
  
"Please, please, please."  
  
Harry shuts him up, pushing his lips against the omega's mouth. He instinctively opens it, letting his tongue inside. The feeling is enough to have him moaning under him.  
  
Harry spreads his legs and pushes inside with one, deep thrust.  
  
That is it. That's his breaking point. Louis blacks out.  
  
Harry fucks him slowly at first, making sure Louis is okay before going faster.  
  
The omega keeps his eyes tightly shut, moaning softly in his chest, digging his nails in his back as the alpha picks up the pace.  
  
He feels so many things flowing through his veins.  
  
He's ashamed, grateful, resentful at the same time.  
  
Harry tries to shush him when he starts blabbing apologies and kisses him hard when he thanks him again and again, locking his legs around him to keep him in place.  
  
"Don't stop." he pleads.  
  
Harry couldn't even if he tried.  
  
He's fucking him hard now, jerking his entire little body up with each thrust. The omega is finally relaxing and letting himself go.  
  
He is pliant and so tiny under him, he looks so delicious Harry wants to lick him everywhere right now.  
  
He'll save that for later.  
  
Louis is starting to get tense again and Harry can actually feel his orgasm creeping up.  
  
His mouth goes slack and he digs his teeth in Harry's shoulder as his brain turns into mush.  
  
"Fuck me, fuck me. Harry, fuck me. I need your knot. Please don't pull out. Please."  
  
Harry hold his hips tightly, slamming inside him harder and harder, triggering his orgasm.  
  
"Gonna knot you in a minute. I need you to come first. Wanna feel you."  
  
He looks small and exhausted and Harry needs to make him feel better. This is so frustrating. Seeing an omega struggling with his heat is always an upsetting experience.  
  
Louis is so close, Harry is about to lose his mind, feeling the warmth and wetness of his hole, hearing his moans getting louder and louder.  
  
When Louis finally comes it's like a violent, never-ending explosion.  
  
His body shakes and wriggles, his hands pull Harry's hair, he screams and whimpers and pushes against his cock, demanding every inch.  
  
Harry moans with him, still struggling to keep him still while he keeps pushing inside, till Louis comes down from his orgasm.  
  
His body goes limp, his mind blank.  
  
He looks up at the alpha. His eyes are filled with lust and so much need. He strokes his hair and brings him closer, holding tight.  
  
"Now knot me." he whispers, leaving a trail of soft kisses along his jaw. "Come inside me."  
  
Harry doesn't need encouragement for that, there is nothing in the whole universe he wants more right now.  
  
His orgasm hits him like a punch in the stomach, intense and breathtaking.  
  
Louis keeps holding him, while his body adjusts to his knot swelling inside him.  
  
Harry comes so much and for so long and every squirt feels like heaven to Louis, filling him up and alleviating his pain.  
  
"Thank you." he hums, already falling asleep.  
  
Harry moves carefully, trying to get comfortable without hurting him. His knot tugs at Louis' rim but the omega just sighs, too tired to object.  
  
"Sorry." Harry says, kissing his forehead. "Get some rest now."  
  
  
  


 

He wakes up alone a few hours later, feeling already too hot and too sticky.  
  
He sits up and looks around. No sign of the alpha but he can still smell him. His senses are heightened due to the heat: he knows Harry's around.  
  
The door of the barn opens and his first instinct is covering up. He is still completely naked, after all.  
  
Harry chuckles.  
  
"Brought you something to eat."  
  
He's holding something in his hand and it smells so damn good. Louis is so hungry again.  
  
"What is it?" he asks, already biting into the piece of meat.  
  
Harry sits beside him, wrapping his shirt around Louis' body. The omega feels his cheeks stinging. Fuck, is he seriously blushing for that? Going into heat can sure make him look quite stupid.  
  
"You went hunting?"  
  
Harry nods, handing him more food.  
  
"It's rabbit." he explains, getting up again to close the door of the barn. He then proceeds to place an old tool just underneath the handle, so the door can't be opened from outside. He did the same the night before. He figured it would have been a mess if somebody came in while he was knotting him.  
  
Louis feels embarrassed already. Is it so obvious he wants to get fucked again?  
  
He shrugs it off, thinking about his breakfast instead.  
  
"So all you could catch was a rabbit? Lame!" he mumbles, stretching his sore legs.  
  
Harry looks hurt.  
  
Ouch, poked him right in his alpha ego, didn't he?  
  
"I rushed back to make sure you were fine. I'm sure you would have done better."  
  
Louis raises his eyebrows, a little smile on his lips.  
  
"Of course I would have." he affirms.  
  
Harry starts laughing but Louis doesn't show any reaction, even though once again he feels like punching him on his nose would be the best feeling in the world.  
  
The alpha offers him some water, and when Louis objects he just shoves the bottle into his hands.  
  
"I'm not thirsty!" he yells, jumping up.  
  
Harry reaches for him, placing a hand on his tummy. It's burning hot.  
  
"Aren't you?" he provokes him, slowly rubbing his skin.  
  
"No, not yet." he mutters, walking away from him.  
  
Harry tilts his head, confused.  
  
The omega is buttoning up the shirt. It looks more like a dress on him.  
  
"Where are my clothes?" he blurts out, looking around.  
  
The alpha doesn't answer. He gets closer to him instead, even though the omega's body language is all about distance.  
  
Harry leans forward, quickly catching his scent.  
  
"Why are you lying?" he asks, biting on his lower lip. "You can't hide from me, you know."  
  
Louis scoffs and pushes him back.  
  
"Maybe I need to get completely wild before agreeing to having sex with you! Maybe this is not something I want and I'm only doing...what I have to do."  
  
Harry sighs.  
  
"Whatever, I give up. You tell me when."

 

 

 

"Why are you playing nice?" Louis wonders, avoiding his kiss.  
  
Harry holds him tighter, pushing his hips up.  
  
Louis shivers, feeling his hard, thick cock pulsing inside of him.  
  
"You're the one who climbed on top of me." the alpha observes, still slowly fucking into him.  
  
The omega's plan was probably riding him, setting the pace and being slightly in control of what's happening between them. If only Harry wasn't so horny, he'd even let him do it.  
  
But he can't help trying to get deeper inside him, making him moan that way.  
  
He is so sensitive. Harry pinches his hips and he whines, he cups his butt cheeks and he whimpers.  
  
"I'm gonna come." he purrs, sucking on Harry's lower lip. His cock twitches inside him, making him scream in pleasure.  
  
"Fuuck, I'm gonna come."  
He just got inside him and he's already on the verge of tears. He's begging him to go harder but Harry won't listen to him. He goes in and out as slow as possible instead, Louis' wet hole clenching and unclenching around his cock.  
  
The friction is so intense Louis reaches climax after a few thrusts, holding onto Harry for dear life.  
  
"I'm tired." he groans, out of breath.  
  
Harry lays him down and gets on top of him, his cock still firmly stuck inside.  
  
"Wanna stop?"  
  
He knows that's the worst thing he could ask him.  
  
He starts moving again, Louis' wetness makes him slip in and out of him with no effort.  
  
The omega shakes his head and reaches for his mouth, furiously biting on it.  
  
Harry snarls at him and licks his lips right after, warning him to behave.  
  
"Need you to knot me." Louis chokes.  
  
"I know."  
  
The alpha grabs his thighs and starts pounding him, gripping tightly on his delicate flesh to keep him in place. He looks at him and, fuck, he's gonna come soon.  
  
Louis is completely lost.  
  
He's biting on his own fist, eyes wide open and filled with tears.  
  
His chest is flushed, his body perfectly ready to take his knot.  
  
So needy and beautiful.  
  
Harry falls onto him as his knot starts swelling, filling the omega up with his cum.  
  
Louis moans throughout Harry's orgasm, pulling the alpha in his arms every time he feels a cumshot invading him, as if he could be buried inside of him any deeper.  
  
Harry can feel the omega's heart thumping like a drum.  
  
"You okay?" he asks, panting.  
  
Louis nods, finally full and sated.  
  
"I am now."  
  
  
  


 

"Wake up."  
  
Harry manages to open one eye. There's too much light in here.  
  
"What for?" he mumbles, shifting into a more comfortable position.  
  
Louis throws something at him, but he's to sleepy to care for it.  
  
"Put your clothes on! We have to get going!"  
  
Jesus, he can be loud.  
  
He was hoping he fucked him enough to knock him out a bit longer. But Louis doesn't sound tired at all.  
  
"Would you please lower you voice?" he grunts, covering his face with both hands. "And close that door."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, folks!  
> Hope you like it as much as I loved writing it <3


	4. The climb

Where the hell is he.  
  
Harry woke up suddenly, in the middle of a confusing wet dream.  
  
He gets up. Doesn't take him long to realize that Louis is gone.  
  
He gets dressed and he runs outside, trying to pick up a scent or to find some footprints, anything that can help him trace him.  
  
As it turns out, he's just three miles further, not just walking, but stomping his feet with anger. He looks like a damn spoiled child.  
  
"There you are! You know, you could have waited for me."  
  
When the omega turns around he looks so livid that Harry might as well go back and disappear forever.  
  
He ties his hair up in a bun and he follows him in silence, waiting for him to calm down.  
  
At some point he stops and he bends over a small bush.  
  
"What are you doing? Are those even edible?"  
  
The omega looks at him, his mouth full of dark berries.  
  
"They are. And I'm starving."  
  
"You burned lots of calories yesterday."  
  
His outraged look is priceless. But Harry didn't mean to upset him, he was just thinking out loud. He should probably avoid that around Louis.  
  
He manages to get closer to him as they keep walking. He looks fine, just a bit irritated, maybe.  
  
Harry can still smell what's left of his heat and, of course, his own scent. They probably should have waited a bit longer, he's not completely out of it yet.  
  
But then again, he had to get very close to notice that, so another alpha wouldn't be able to spot him from a distance.  
  
"Should we tell your pack about what happened?"  
  
Louis stops in the middle of the field they're crossing.  
  
"I stink. If you can smell that, they can too. Don't you think?"  
  
His blue eyes sparkle with anger.  
  
Why is he so angry?  
  
"I don't think you stink." Harry comments, unsure what to do.  
  
"I meant...that I smell like an alpha ravaged me. That's stinking, to me."  
  
Harry shrugs.  
  
"Are you telling me I was supposed to ignore you?"  
  
He was pretty sure Louis asked for him to knot him, it's not like he had to persuade him or anything.  
  
The omega sighs, nervously biting on his finger nails.  
  
He shakes his head, without looking him in the eyes.  
  
"No, you did what was right."  
  
None of them moves for a while. They just stand there, in the middle of nowhere, with still too much to process and too many problems to solve.  
  
"That doesn't change what's gonna happen, Louis. I can't let you stay."  
  
With that they're done talking.  
  
Louis doesn't speak again until the sun starts going down.  
  
  
  


 

"Louis, we should stop."  
  
"We're close. I remember these houses."  
  
The omega hasn't felt this tired in a while. But he's almost there, he needs to push himself only a bit more.  
  
His legs are killing him and he's starting to feel dizzy.  
  
Harry never leaves his side, occasionally grabbing his arm and helping him up when he trips on something. Louis can't even find the strength to thank him. The alpha tries to convince him again and again that the best thing they can do is stop and get some rest, but he won't hear it.  
  
"We'll hit the road as soon as the sun rises, Louis. Listen to me."  
  
He won't. He just can't.  
  
"Can you smell them?" he asks, out of breath.  
  
"I can't smell anything. They're probably not as close as you thought. Let's rest a bit, come on."  
  
Why the hell is it so hard for him to understand that he cares about those people?  
  
"Shut the fuck up!"  
  
His voice echoes through the night, leaving them both stunned and confused.  
  
Harry stops walking.  
  
Louis doesn't.  
  
He keeps going and going and going, just a bit longer, just a bit further and he's gonna find them. They must be here, somewhere. He knows.  
  
But does he?  
  
He feels exhausted.  
  
He should have paid more attention. Liam wanted to make sure he would find his way back, he pointed to the houses and the road signals and that old farm he saw a while ago. He was so impatient though, he wanted to leave and get it over with. But maybe he should have looked harder, before following his directions to get to the village.  
  
Where are they.  
  
"If you won't listen to me, listen to your own body."  
  
Harry's voice sounds so distant, so irrelevant.  
  
He needs to keep going. It was around here, wasn't it?  
  
Why is it so dark. He can't see anything, fuck.  
  
He keeps falling down, his hands are bleeding, his knees hurt like hell.  
  
This place is so dark.  
  
  
  


 

"I was starting to get worried."  
  
Louis shakes his head, trying to regain consciousness.  
  
Such a weird feeling, knowing you are dreaming and not being able to come back to reality.  
  
What the hell happened.  
  
He needs to fucking wake up. Now.  
  
"I'm glad you're okay."  
  
Liam's voice is so reassuring and warm. It feels like he hasn't heard it in centuries.  
  
His smell is familiar, safe.  
  
He can smell him?  
  
He tries to open his eyes but they feel glued together, his brain just won't give the right impulses.  
  
He feels a hand stroking his cheek, that voice still in his ears.  
  
  
  


 

Harry knew this would happen.  
  
Why did he have to be so fucking stubborn? He should have listened to him.  
  
He looks at the omega, then back at the alpha.  
  
"I suppose he just needs to rest. I'll go back to my pack. I expect you to get there in a couple of days?"  
  
The alpha kisses Louis on his forehead, then he stands up.  
  
He offers him a handshake, a serious expression on his face.  
  
"Thank you, Harry. We'll find a way to repay you."  
  
Harry nods.  
  
"Can your omegas make it safely? I can send some friends to get them, if you want."  
  
This Liam seems okay, for now.  
  
Well, he looks terrible. He must be a good guy, though.  
  
At least judging from the way he treats Louis and by the fact that the other four omegas all gathered around him, looking for his protection. One of them is injured. Looks like her arm is broken and she's in pain.  
  
"There's no need for that. Will is going to help me."  
  
The fact he couldn't meet the other alpha of the pack makes Harry pretty nervous. Apparently he's caring for another omega who's not feeling too well.  
  
He'll get a chance to take a look at him as soon as they reach his village.  
  
He's going to watch all of them very closely.  
  
  
  


 

Liam's chest is his safe place.  
  
He finds comfort in the sound of his heartbeat, the smell of his skin, the way his arms hold him but don't cage him.  
  
His breaths are slowly lulling him to sleep.  
  
"Do I sound stupid if I say I missed you?"  
  
Louis chuckles.  
  
"Kinda." he replies, already laughing.  
  
He expected Liam to push him or maybe kick him in the shin but the alpha doesn't move.  
  
Louis lifts his head a little bit, so he can look at his face.  
  
He has a sweet smile on his lips.  
  
"I did miss you. So I guess I'll accept the fact I'm stupid. You tell me that every chance you get, anyway!"  
  
He laughs this time, moving his hand up and down Louis' back.  
  
The omega sighs and surrenders once more to his body, falling asleep in a matter of seconds.  
  
  
  


 

They're going slow, but they're gonna get there eventually.  
  
Liam and Louis are walking ahead of the pack, showing them which way to go and making sure nothing jumps out to attack them.  
  
They're used to talking and checking their surroundings at the same time. Surviving means never letting your guard down.  
  
The rest of the pack is behind them, including Will. He's carrying Diana in his arms because she is too weak to walk for long distances. Louis is hoping the other pack will be able to get her back on track.  
  
They went through a lot of shit together and they still need to hold on a bit longer, until they can relax a little bit.  
  
Louis notices they all look pretty cheerful, though. Maybe just the thought of having somewhere to go is enough to lift their mood. It's a new feeling.  
  
"Did you do it?" Liam asks, looking straight into his eyes.  
  
Louis' heart skips a beat, even though he was just waiting for that question.  
  
He thought he would tell him all about it, but he finds himself stuck in his own head.  
  
Maybe he should keep his thoughts to himself.  
  
He just nods, avoiding more details and Liam takes the hint.  
  
Their journey is long but, luckily, quite uneventful.  
  
They finally get there two and a half days later, all safe and hopeful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi <3  
> Liam finally shows up and, just so you know, I picture the "Will" guy as Will Smith.  
> Don't ask me why, it just happened.  
> Hope you are having fun with this <3


	5. The others

Everybody is thrilled.  
  
Sure, Harry was expecting some reaction from them.  
  
His first thought was panic, though.  
  
He couldn't have been more wrong.  
  
All 52 members of his pack are running around looking for something to do in order to, in Niall's words, "welcome the newcomers".  
  
His day has begun at 5 am and he's completely done with this shit.  
  
They can call it bad temper or whatever the hell they want. But this is all wrong. All of it.  
  
He instructs Zayn and Greg to gather everyone, no matter what they are doing.  
  
Now he's standing in front of his house, waiting for them to be quiet before speaking.  
  
He clears his throat.  
  
"Alright everyone!" he starts, rubbing his hands on his jeans. He's so on edge he might kill somebody. He takes a deep breath instead.  
  
"This is NOT a fucking party! It's not a happy event and it's not the start of something new." he can't help but add air quotes to that last part. This feels too damn ridiculous to him.  
  
Everyone is staring at him, some looking disappointed, some looking surprised.  
  
"I am not allowing new people into our pack. Just because we agreed to help them, doesn't mean we are their friends. Keep in mind that we don't know these people and, in case you forgot, life is not easy out there."  
  
"That's the point!" a beta yells, looking around for approval.  
  
Harry bites the inside of his cheeks. Killing somebody soon becomes an option again.  
  
"Calum, would you please shut your mouth and let me finish? Thank you."  
  
The beta snorts, crossing his arms and waiting for him to go on.  
  
Now they all look even more indignant. Lovely.  
  
He's never been that good with large groups of people. They tend to get...what's the word?  
  
Stupid.  
  
"We don't know where they come from. We don't know how they managed to survive. But there's something I know." he affirms, slowly looking at all those people depending on him.  
  
"Sometimes in order to live, someone else needs to succumb. You might need to steal, run or kill. Right and wrong don't matter anymore, when you are fighting for your life. On that note, these people might take advantage of us or even hurt us."  
  
Now he really has their attention.  
  
Fear always works as motivation, doesn't it.  
  
"Two omegas disappeared."  
  
Most people turn to look at Luke, who lost his mate a week ago. Harry hates reminding him and he can see it in his eyes, how much he's hurting him. But his pack needs to hear this. They need to be scared and trust no one.  
  
How else can he protect them right now?  
  
"For all I know, these strangers might be responsible for that."  
  
He looks down for a moment. Realizing he's scared too is not a pleasant experience.  
  
"I am not saying you have to mistreat them or hate them. All I'm saying is I need all of you to use your heads and watch each other's back. It's a very delicate situation and I'm asking for your help. There's nothing I want more than your safety and happiness. I would give my life for that."  
  
Most alphas nod solemnly, showing him their support.  
  
"Just...don't throw my life in the fucking trash, will you?"  
  
It seems like his message came across and he feels a lot better now, even if his pack feels a lot worse.  
  
His mood takes a hard hit a minute later though, when Niall pouts and begs him: "Can we still make them dinner, though?"

 

 

 

Louis feels...small.  
  
Liam senses his discomfort and immediately gets closer to him, subtly brushing his fingers against his hip.  
  
The pack is there, waiting for them to cross that invisible line separating the village from the outside, the family from the intruders.  
  
Harry is the first one they encounter, as they slowly cross the border.  
  
Everything is still and quiet. Even the forest behind them seems to have gone silent, waiting.  
  
The alpha lifts his head up, towards the cloudy sky above them.  
  
He sniffs the air, scanning and searching. It feels calm, peaceful.  
  
His eyes are now on Liam, giving him silent permission to get closer.  
  
He does, slowly and carefully. Their hands touch, once again, showing solidarity.  
  
Harry then moves aside, as the rest of the new pack enters the most vulnerable and precious part of his territory.  
  
No one dares to move or say a word.  
  
A child breaks that thick silence, timidly approaching Liam.  
  
The pack looks at their leader, seeking his reassurance. Harry nods.  
  
Liam kneels, smiling at the small boy.  
  
"You don't look scary." he chirps, putting his small hand on the alpha's chin. He curiously studies his stubble, frowning.  
  
Liam laughs.  
  
"You do, a little bit."  
  
The boy attempts to let out the cutest growl then, bravely baring his little teeth even if some are missing.  
  
Harry gets between them, affectionately patting the kid on his head.  
  
"We thought you'd be hungry. Want to join us for dinner?"

 

 

 

They all sit together, eating and casually chatting.  
  
None of them touches food, unless somebody offers it to them.  
  
None of them talks, unless somebody prompts them.  
  
Respect is a key factor in a pack.  
  
Liam and Will were surprised to see that Harry didn't want them to sit beside him.  
  
He let them be close to their own pack. He constantly checks on them, of course, from the other side of the table.  
  
Liam looks back at him and raises his glass, planning on thanking him again, as soon as he gets the chance.  
  
Harry can see they are genuinely grateful and putting an effort into this. It makes him feel in charge, like it's supposed to be.  
  
As time goes by, his pack slowly grows more comfortable and confident around them.  
  
Even the youngest omegas ask questions and hand them food, smiling.  
  
Harry has to snarl at them and shake his head every now and then, when their curiosity starts crossing boundaries.  
  
They can show interest, as long as they don't cause any tension.  
  
That's why he stands up as soon as Niall puts his hand on Will's arm, staring at a fresh wound.  
  
The alpha stays still and offers him a smile, letting Harry put him back to his place.  
  
The omega whines softly and runs back to his seat, awkwardly hiding his face in his hands and blushing.

 

 

 

Everything seems to go smoothly enough and when they are all full and relaxed, the alpha suggests they clean up and get back to their houses immediately after.  
  
He stops the newcomers from helping, though.  
  
Louis fights off his instinct for quite a while, but he ends up sitting down, nervously bouncing his legs. He feels Harry's eyes on him and he's smart enough to bite his tongue.  
  
It's nice to see he's willing to help. Once the tables are clear, the alpha carries them one by one back into various houses, but he never forgets to turn around, regularly checking on the strangers.  
  
Most people are gone now, just his alphas and the new pack are still outside.  
  
Will steps forward, his hands strategically hidden is his pockets, to display his lack of pride.  
  
"I didn't expect this kind of treatment. I have no words to describe your generosity. Thank you, Harry." he says, never taking his eyes off his face.  
  
"We are glad to help. But we also need to make things clear." Harry starts, looking around.  
  
Liam nods, waiting for him to continue.  
  
"I can't offer you much. I can't give you a home."  
  
Louis clenches his fists, hissing quietly.

 

 

 

 

He knows, he really does.  
  
He'd better shut up and let him do his thing.  
  
Show everyone who's boss and who's got the biggest cock and everything.  
  
It's just so frustrating, though.  
  
Why does it have to be so hard?  
  
"Seems like someone has a problem with this."  
  
Harry's voice pulls him out of his head. His tone is low and aggressive: he is clearly annoyed by something.  
  
Louis bites his lip, slowly lifting his head up to look at the alpha.  
  
His green eyes are burning with rage.  
  
Louis knows he shouldn't challenge him, he swears he fucking knows.  
  
"Go ahead, Louis. Speak your mind." Harry encourages him.  
  
Louis turns to look at Liam.  
  
The alpha is obviously tense. He's very protective of him and this is making him extremely uncomfortable.  
  
Harry told him to speak though, and Liam won't cross him.  
  
"Do as he says." he whispers.  
  
Louis looks back at Harry.  
  
"With all due respect, I don't think you're being completely honest here."  
  
He is interrupted by a low growl, coming from behind Harry.  
  
One of his alphas is getting angry for his behavior.  
  
Harry pats the man on his shoulder, asking him to calm down.  
  
"Go on, Louis. Please explain."  
  
The omega sighs, trying to ignore the tingling sensation in his legs. His body is telling him to remove himself from the situation. Unfortunately, his brain is going in the opposite direction.  
  
"It's not about what you can or can't do, in my opinion. You are the leader. You can do anything you want. But do you actually want to help us?"  
  
Harry suddenly turns around and he shushes his alphas, who are getting quite agitated.  
  
His eyes soon get back on Louis' face and the omega starts feeling threatened. Liam's hand on his lower back slightly makes it better.  
  
"I do not trust you." Harry states, furrowing his eyebrows.  
  
"None of you. I do want to help you. You are going to eat and sleep among my own people. But not for long. You are going to leave as soon as you are ready. I can't let you stay, Louis. Because I don't want to. I guess those two concepts can coexist. Don't you?"  
  
Harry has a smug smile on his face and Louis can clearly sense his desire to submit him.  
  
The omega walks away, observing the rest of the interaction from afar.  
  
Okay, alright.  
  
He can let him do that. He can yield and kiss his ass for a while. He can tell him he's got the biggest cock and all that shit. He can be patient, he can be submissive.  
  
Luckily, he can also be smarter than him. His plan might work for the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone <3  
> First of all, thank you so much for all the support!  
> I've been working on this for months and since I've started posting it I've only been more inspired, so, again, thank you.  
> Sometimes it's so hard to put it on paper, even though you got it in your head.  
> The good news is I already have a few chapters ready to go and I'll keep on posting them, while I hopefully keep on writing!  
> I can't wait to see your reaction now that we get deeper into the plot :3
> 
>  
> 
>  


	6. The trap

The following five weeks go by rather quickly.  
  
Their life at the village is incredibly easy.  
  
They live all together in a cabin. There are three bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room and a bathroom.  
  
Louis and Liam sleep on the couch.  
  
They have clean towels, clean clothes and three meals a day.  
  
The alphas help the other pack when it comes to hunting or keeping an eye on the village.  
  
The betas and omegas help with everyday tasks, such as cooking and farming.  
  
Louis hates it.  
  
He doesn't give a fuck about growing vegetables and stirring soup.  
  
He likes action. Being an housewife has never been one of his aspirations, even before the world fucking fell apart.  
  
But he just goes with it, day after day.  
  
No one speaks about it, but it feels as if they're running out of time.  
  
It's been over a month now and Harry might ask them to leave any moment.  
  
He's probably just waiting for Diana to heal and that's also why Louis keeps telling her to skip a pill here and there and make up a whole new symptom when she gets the chance.  
  
She's a good actress now that she's feeling better.  
  
It can't last much longer, though.  
  
It's in the air, it's in their eyes, it's in the fact Harry interacts with them less and less, letting their pack alone most times. Getting them ready to be on their own again.  
  
Only another week goes by, before the alpha knocks on their door, saying he needs to talk to them.

 

 

 

He's not alone.  
  
Two of his alphas came by.  
  
Harry stands in front of the living room table, Greg and Nick are right beside him.  
  
His pack is sitting, 'cause, according to what Liam told him, standing up would look like they're challenging him or something. Alpha logic. Louis will never get it.  
  
Harry goes straight to the point. He doesn't bother asking them how they're doing or engaging in small talk. He simply went there to get rid of them, it's pretty obvious.  
  
"I've kept my promise." he starts.  
  
He looks dead serious.  
  
"Now I have to ask you to go. We are going to give you some food and some clothes. We are also going to escort you outside of my territory, in case you need something during the trip."  
  
Louis can't help but laugh.  
  
How can he not realize how bad it sounds?  
  
He thinks he's being kind but in Louis' head that translates to "I did what I had to do. Now get out of my sight. Don't get me wrong though, I'm gonna give you a sandwich and a complimentary shirt, before following you to make sure you fuck off into the void."  
  
It's one of the worst things he's ever witnessed. And he's seen a lot of bad shit. A lot.  
  
Liam lets out a tiny growl, warning him to control himself.  
  
Harry ignores that, clearly not in the mood for arguments.  
  
He's about to leave, walking towards the door all confident and proud of himself for getting through with that.  
  
Except.  
  
"Harry, wait."  
  
Liam stops him.  
  
Harry comes back, his alphas right behind him.  
  
Tension quickly spreads over the room.  
  
Louis' pack knows what's coming. Harry doesn't.  
  
"What is it?" he asks, clearly bothered.  
  
Louis smiles. He's about to lose his mind with the anticipation.  
  
"We can't leave." Liam explains.  
  
Harry inhales sharply, his posture changes. He does not like this, not even a little bit.  
  
Liam stands up.  
  
"We can't leave. One of our omegas is pregnant."

 

 

 

Harry steps forward.  
  
Liam is still standing up and that's enough to make him tense.  
  
He instinctively flashes his teeth at him.  
  
"And why is that my fucking problem?"  
  
Nick and Greg start laughing behind him. But this is not funny. It's absurd and disrespectful.  
  
If Liam doesn't shut his mouth, Harry is probably gonna attack him. His muscles are screaming for some action. The situation is far from acceptable and he is completely over this.  
  
Liam slowly walks around the table, making his way to him.  
  
Harry's growl is so loud even his own alphas are startled by it.  
  
Liam doesn't flinch. He stares at him. He bites his lip so hard he can taste his own blood.  
  
"It is your fucking problem. Because you did it." 

 

 

 

All he could do was leave.  
  
He nervously glanced at Louis, hoping it was all just a bad joke. But it wasn't.  
  
The omega looked back at him only for a moment, before giving up and staring at the floor.  
  
Harry turned his back on him, on all of them, and he walked out of there.  
  
He's been pacing back and forth for the past hour, growling and rejecting whoever tries to express their opinion about that mess.  
  
What the fuck do they know.  
  
Only his mother seems to be able to get close to him without being threatened.  
  
She puts a hand on his back, whispering something nobody can hear.  
  
But Harry can, and it makes him feel even more confused.  
  
"Do the right thing." she tells him, before leaving his house.  
  
Every alpha in the pack is still there, waiting for him to calm down in order to decide what to do next.  
  
Their leader has never been so lost, not even when Michael and Hannah suddenly vanished and the entire pack was drowning in fear.  
  
He was able to handle that somehow, he was able to restore peace and a sense of safety and belonging in all of them.  
  
And here he is now, about to have a fucking break down. He knows that can't happen.  
  
This won't make him lose his grip. It has to stop.  
  
Just as he started, he stops moving, all of a sudden.  
  
He stands in the middle of his living room, trying to regain control over his nerves and his breathing, patiently waiting for his heart rate to go back to normal.  
  
He needs to pull himself together and figure this out.  
  
He needs to do the right thing.

 

 

 

Louis couldn't answer Liam's question, when he asked him how he was doing.  
  
He couldn't talk, or cry or get mad. He couldn't react.  
  
He just froze, no expression colored his face.  
  
His pack retreated, leaving him some space.  
  
He has no idea how long he's been sitting on that couch. Could be five minutes, could be a week.  
  
The clock just stopped. His mind just quit.  
  
What is there to say?  
  
He made it. That's all that counts.  
  
He pictured it, he planned it, he acted it all out and, finally, he made it.  
  
There's no fireworks or cheering. His victory won't be celebrated because it already doesn't matter anymore. Nothing does.  
  
Louis remembers his mother's face like he saw it a minute ago.  
  
Her eyes were clear and filled with kindness, her smile wide and sweet.  
  
He can remember her perfume, like she's sitting right beside him.  
  
He remembers helping her out with his newborn siblings and noticing her tired, sleepy, blissful smile.  
  
She explained it to him.  
  
The way it feels.  
  
That precious gift only omegas were given and would be able to understand.  
  
Carrying a new life inside of you.  
  
He listened to her, suppressing his desire to mock her for the things she said. It all sounded so absurd. How could he fall for that kind of bullshit?  
  
But then again, it was his mother and he wouldn't contradict her on something he knew nothing about.  
  
Who would have thought he'd end up realizing she was speaking the truth.  
  
"You just know it, baby. You can tell when it happens."  
  
Her voice still echoes inside of his head.  
  
He remembers her warm hands on his face, the way her eyes crinkled when she smiled.  
  
He remembers shaking his head and looking at her suspiciously.  
  
She laughed but didn't back down. She was so confident in what she was teaching him.  
  
"One day you'll get to experience it yourself. Then you'll tell me I was right."  
  
He had forgotten about that, but now he remembers it so clearly.  
  
His eyes are welling up with tears, as he hesitantly puts a hand on his abdomen.  
  
His mother was right.  
  
At some point, it just clicked.  
  
There were no signs, only speculation.  
  
But at some point.

 

 

Click.

 

 

It just happened and he just knew.  
  
He felt it starting somewhere in his tummy and crawling up all the way to his brain, quickly assembling every piece until he got the picture.  
  
A new life was developing inside of him and he just knew it.

  


 

 

A soft knock pulls him out of his private bubble, forcing him to stand up and keep a straight face as he goes to open the door.  
  
Liam looks extremely concerned.  
  
He knew this would be hard on him too. There's just no time to deal with his need to protect him now. There is nothing else Liam can do for him, at this point.  
  
He probably needs to step aside and let Louis and Harry sort it out.  
  
Louis lets him in.  
  
"Seems like he made up his mind." the alpha blurts out, running a shaky hand through his hair.  
  
Louis nods, reminding himself he needs to be the strong one right now, in order to keep his pack together.  
  
They rely on him.  
  
He's gonna show them everything is fine, even if it means pretending for the rest of his life.  
  
That's the reason he buried himself in this fucking hole. He wanted his pack to feel safe, for once.  
  
He wanted them to stop surviving and start living. Is that really too much to ask?  
  
Will is the next one to join them, soon followed by the rest of the pack.  
  
Louis tries to smile at them, but it looks more like a grimace.  
  
He keeps looking at the clock above the fireplace, never truly realizing what time it is.  
  
He keeps glancing at it out of frustration, annoyed by its relentless ticking.  
  
Seems like forever before someone knocks at their door.  
  
Liam jumps up from his chair but Ashton stops him, firmly placing a hand on his chest.  
  
"Let me. I am a beta. Hopefully he'll be less aggressive if I'm the one letting him in."  
  
Liam sits down again, crossing his arms and taking an endless breath.  
  
He looks so crushed and that makes Louis feel even worse about all of this.  
  
Was it actually their best alternative?  
  
He's not so sure anymore, as Harry's strong scent makes its way to the room and small drops of sweat start dripping from his forehead.  
  
Ashton couldn't have been more wrong: Harry slams the door and runs into the kitchen like a wild animal.  
  
His hair is disheveled, his breathing uneven.  
  
He looks straight at Louis, gritting his teeth.  
  
The omega whines softly, incapable of concealing the anxiety bubbling up in his chest.  
  
Harry has never looked scary to him before.  
  
Sure, he growls and hisses and furrows like a disappointed parent.  
  
But now he looks dangerous.  
  
Louis wants to crawl up in a hole and stay there at least until the next apocalypse. He never thought he would feel guilty.  
  
He knew it would be humiliating. He accepted the fact it would be life changing in the worst way imaginable.  
  
But he forgot that, on top of his struggles, he would also have to put a terrifying amount of regret and self-doubt.  
  
It's not only his life he's ruined. Harry's gonna have to pay for this just as much as him.  
  
He clenches his fists, hiding his eyes from the alpha's. He's feeling so small and vulnerable that he might actually break down and cry at this point.  
  
But he won't. Fuck, he'll get through this. He has to.  
  
When he looks up again Harry isn't looking at him anymore, but his rage is still unmistakable.  
  
A disturbing sound is coming out of his throat and each member of Louis' pack is clever enough to understand this is the best moment to be quiet and avoid his gaze.  
  
The alpha is simply livid.  
  
When he finally talks, his voice is so deep and sinister it almost sounds unreal.  
  
"You are gonna stay here." he states, breathing heavy.  
  
He then goes quiet and starts walking.  
  
Louis can't bring himself to lift his head up but he sees his boots stopping right in front of him. He shivers. He can smell his anger.  
  
Then Harry speaks again, with that same cold, unpleasant tone. It's only a few words, but to Louis they might as well be bullets.  
  
He can almost hear his own heart shattering inside his chest, as the alpha pronounces the worst sentence he's ever had to hear.  
  
"And I'm gonna bond him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't wait to post this one!  
> What do you guys think? *-*  
> This chapter is how the whole thing started in my head. Just the idea that they would have to work on a relationship not knowing or loving each other became irresistible and made me start writing.  
> How do you like the characters so far?  
> Hope you're having lots of fun and feels <3


	7. The bond

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everybody, just a little warning that this chapter is quite intense.  
> Louis gets knotted and bonded by Harry even though it's not what he wants, and for some of you it might be hard to read...maybe? I don't know?  
> I guess it's pretty emotional.  
> Well, take a deep breath and enjoy the ride <3

If there is a God, Louis must have been cursed.  
  
If there really is a God up there, he turned his back on Louis a long time ago.  
  
And if he thought he wouldn't feel lost, he was wrong. If he thought it would be easy, he was wrong.  
  
As he enters Harry's house all of his strength seems to abandon him.  
  
The door closes behind him and it's suddenly so clear now. He's about to stick his wrists out and get caught. He can almost hear those chains clashing, reminding him he's gonna be stuck here.  
  
For long, for so so long.  
  
For as long as he lives.  
  
So that's how his spirit dies. He's been struggling so hard to keep it alive, he gave it all he had.  
  
But now it's okay to just let go. It's time to give in.  
  
Harry is so close. His scent embraces him like a toxic cloud.  
  
Louis looks up at him.  
  
The alpha's face is so still, as if it were carved in marble. A stern expression is all he can offer.  
  
And that's okay. Louis gets it.  
  
How could he blame him for hating him?  
  
Louis gets that and it's okay. He'll learn to accept it.  
  
His heart skips a bit as soon as Harry reaches out to touch him.  
  
Why can't he just run away. Why did things have to get so bad.  
  
Harry brings him close, until he's staring into his eyes, breathing on his lips.  
  
Louis isn't breathing at all.  
  
Maybe, if he gets as far from himself as possible, it won't even feel like it's really happening. Maybe the next time he wakes up, it will all be over.  
  
The alpha pulls him in for a kiss, pushing hard on his lips.  
  
Louis feels like he's really trying to suffocate him, as a last attempt at saving himself.  
  
But Harry eventually breaks that kiss, squeezing his eyes shut, still breathing on his skin.  
  
His hands feel so big on Louis' body, it feels like he might crush him, if only he wanted to.  
  
Harry just keeps them there instead, gripping his soft hips, eyes still shut.  
  
How are they even going to do this.  
  
Louis finally inhales deeply, pulling on Harry's shirt, maybe begging him.  
  
If he just did it, with no second thoughts, they could just go back to pretending nothing is wrong.  
  
But the alpha doesn't do anything, he doesn't even open his eyes.  
  
And if Louis could go back right now, he really would.  
  
But that doesn't happen in life. It would be too easy.  
  
It never is.  
  
But that's okay, Louis can take it.  
  
He can take this and so much more. He's proved it to himself so many times already.  
  
He gets away, far away from that house, from that room, from that scent, from that nightmare.  
  
His hands move on their own, as he gets so far away, beyond the limits of his body. Until nothing but an empty shell remains.  
  
He takes his shirt off, looking down.  
  
He takes his pants off, looking down.  
  
Then he takes his briefs off, looking down, going far away. Far away from here.  
  
It finally hits.  
  
Like a tidal wave rising up and crushing him.  
  
Harry is all over him, panting and growling, tearing his own clothes off as he touches him anywhere he can reach.  
  
Louis is still running, still distancing himself from what feels too much like a death sentence right now, as Harry imprisons him in his arms, shoving him against the wall.  
  
Stuck in a small corner, he opens his mouth, letting his tongue inside. It's getting so hot and wet and too real for Louis to escape.  
  
Harry's hands are reaching for his ass, digging his fingers inside the soft flesh, making it too real.  
  
The alpha stares coldly into his eyes.  
  
Louis promised himself he wouldn't be afraid. He told himself it wasn't that bad.  
  
It's atrocious.  
  
Harry rubs his hole and gropes his ass, with the sole intent of getting him aroused.  
  
And the worst thing is that it works.  
  
Louis' body betrays him and it starts lubricating, dragging him even more down, taking him back to that place.  
  
He closes his eyes and lets go, becoming not much more than a tool in Harry's hands.  
  
He doesn't even know what he's trying to do anymore.  
  
At first he keeps Harry's hands right where they are, rubbing against him to make him keep going. Pushing the moment he dreads the most as far as possible.  
  
Then he stops him, squirming out of his arms and turning to face the wall.  
  
To invite him. Bringing the moment he dreads the most as close as possible.  
  
He promises himself he won't be scared, when Harry lets him taste the head of his cock against his slick hole.  
  
He tells himself it's not that bad, when Harry grunts and pushes in, breaching his flesh.  
  
It's agonizing.  
  
He feels too big and too hard and too much.  
  
Louis whines, forcing himself to stay still and let the alpha thrust inside him.  
  
Stalling doesn't make any sense anymore.  
  
The sooner it happens, the sooner he can go back to pretending everything is okay.  
  
Harry fucks him hard, trying to get his orgasm out as soon as he can.  
  
His breath gets heavy and ragged. He's just a slave to his own body now, consumed with the need to hold him down and fill him with his knot.  
  
It makes it easier for him, doesn't it?  
  
But Louis has to feel all of it.  
  
His cock ramming inside of him, his arms trapping him, his teeth brushing against his neck, as his own body keeps betraying him and letting him have it.  
  
Louis just accepts it, gritting his teeth and letting go.  
  
Then Harry suddenly pulls out of him, panting and sweating.  
  
He grabs Louis by his shoulders, making him turn around.  
  
The omega is flushed all the way down to his stomach, his cock is painfully hard, his eyes unfocused.  
  
Harry carefully drags him upstairs, but Louis' legs seem to give in on every step.  
  
Eventually he finds himself on Harry's bed.  
  
The alpha commands he gets on all fours and Louis complies, hiding his face in a pillow.  
  
Soon it'll be over and he won't need to be scared anymore.  
  
He's been hurt so many times before. How can this be any worse.  
  
He promises himself he'll be strong but he still feels like crying.  
  
Harry shoves his cock back inside him with no hesitation and he is soon fucking him hard again.  
  
Louis feels his mouth against his ear, and he can't help but feel a bit better, knowing he's close.  
  
It makes him feel less used, Harry's raspy voice trying to reassure him.  
  
"I'm about to pop my knot. We're almost done."  
  
Now he's hating him all over again, for reminding him it's not easy for neither of them. Reminding him he's the one who put them in this situation. He's the one holding the chains, shutting the door, trapping them inside that cage. It was all him.  
  
He lets out a strangled breath as Harry's knot starts swelling.  
  
It'll all be over soon.  
  
Just a few seconds to go.  
  
Why can't he just run away.  
  
Harry moans loudly in his ear and his semen starts flowing inside.  
  
It's warm, unwanted, Louis wants to run.  
  
Then he finally feels Harry's teeth sinking in his neck and he hisses.  
  
Just a few seconds away.  
  
The pain is subtle and constant, the skin is about to break and they're about to bond for life.  
  
Then Harry lets go of him, throwing his head back for a moment to let out an intense growl.  
  
He bites into his neck again, this time harder, so hard Louis' eyes snap open and it takes him some time to realize he's the one screaming.  
  
Harry keeps coming and growling, and Louis keeps screaming, because it's so bad, it's so much, it's so fucking real now.  
  
And he can't, he just can't run away.  
  
The alpha finally stops biting.  
  
Louis shivers and sobs, suddenly feeling so many different things his brain can't even remotely process what's happening.  
  
Warmth.  
  
His skin feels on fire.  
  
His heart is convulsing inside his ribcage.  
  
Fear.  
  
His whole body starts shaking, under Harry's weight.  
  
Pain.  
  
Small drops of blood drip on the sheets, and he shuts his eyes as much as he can.  
  
It's all so real.  
  
"My God." Harry whispers.  
  
If there is a God, Louis would like to meet him one day, only to ask him why.  
  
Harry is shaking too, Louis can feel it. He's just as scared as him.  
  
He can feel Harry's fear and his pain. He can feel everything and it's all too much.  
  
The alpha laps at the wound and Louis cries, because it feels so good. It's sweet and comforting and he hates it.  
  
He feels safe and fuck, he hates it.  
  
They are locked together and he can't run away.  
  
Harry stops licking and the pain comes back, twice as hard as before.  
  
Louis wishes he would start again, helping him heal. But he just can't. He hates it, it's so bad.  
  
Harry lies on his body.  
  
He's heavy. Louis relaxes under him. He stops crying, he closes his eyes.  
  
It's all over now.

 

 

 

Harry's knot starts going down after what feels like an eternity.  
  
The omega is sleeping like a rock under him, with a little pout on his face.  
  
Harry moves slowly, carefully pulling out of him and rolling onto his back, still breathing heavy.  
  
He turns to look at Louis again and he can't just fucking believe this.  
  
The omega looks tiny, vulnerable, completely harmless. And still.  
  
He can't wrap his head around the idea that something so small was able to put him in such a big mess.  
  
Louis tricked him.  
  
He fell for it so hard, so easily and he's not sure he's ever gonna be able to forgive himself.  
  
The fact is, Harry's always been very proud of the way he could spot danger and perceive the smallest hint of risk with no effort. Look at him now.  
  
Naked, powerless and, worst of all, bonded.  
  
He's been avoiding that since he hit puberty and somehow life still managed to grab him by his throat and shove him to the ground.  
  
Everything feels overwhelming right now.  
  
Louis' delicious scent stuck in his nose, his own confusion and his omega's anxiety rising up even as he sleeps.  
  
Fuck.  
  
His omega.  
  
Before he can think about it, his hand is splayed on Louis' back.  
  
He feels so warm. He looks so little. He still doesn't understand how something that small can be this destructive.  
  
As his resentment starts quickly building up inside of him, Louis squeals and squirms in his sleep, disturbed by his alpha's rage.  
  
So that's how it's gonna be from now on. They won't be able to hide anything from each other anymore. It's a little too late for that, isn't it.  
  
He stops touching him, even if he has to struggle with that awful sensation: the need to feel him.  
  
It's all so different now.  
  
The omega is getting agitated again, but he won't do anything about it. Why should he?  
  
He frowns, as a hundred intrusive thoughts start tickling his brain.  
  
It would take nothing, to just lift him up and drag him a hundred miles away, dumping him in the middle of nowhere. It would take even less to snap his neck. Just like that.  
  
A sinister shiver starts crawling up his spine.  
  
Only thinking about hurting him makes him cringe. Unbelievable.  
  
He could still do it.  
  
He could find a million different ways to get rid of him, to get out of a terrible situation he was forced into.  
  
But he won't. That's not him.  
  
He'll do the right thing.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is.  
> It doesn't get as bad for a while after this one, so relax.  
> I got you.  
> Lemme know what you think of it if you want, I'll keep on working on it! Wish me good luck!  
> Bye <3


	8. Another dimension

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi <3  
> I'm posting two chapters today because this one is very short, but I consider it complete just the way it is!  
> Hope you like how things start changing. <3
> 
>  
> 
>  

It's almost like stepping in another dimension.  
  
In this world, everything is a bit different and Louis is learning a lot of things for the second time, as if their bond wiped half of his personality out.  
  
On the first night they sleep together, he learns that if Harry gets up to get some water, he's gonna wake up too, and feel a weight on his chest and he won't be able to take a deep breath, until the alpha gets back into bed. Then his body can relax and he can go back to sleeping.  
  
The following morning, as soon as Harry goes away, he also learns that his body temperature drops when his alpha suddenly leaves his side.  
  
He learns that the wound on his neck can sting like a bitch, making him hiss every time he moves his head. He learns that nothing makes it better. He tries washing it and rubbing it, but it won't stop hurting.

 

 

 

It's like waking up in someone else's body.  
  
Harry finds himself craving physical contact as they are both sleeping, accidentally reaching out to touch him. He soon learns that his hands on him won't wake Louis up, but they will actually make the omega slip further into his sleep.  
  
He learns that getting out of the room to get some water and a breath of fresh air won't take away that awful pressure he feels inside his chest. Only lying next to him again will.  
  
Harry learns that the urge to lap at Louis' bond mark can be stronger than him sometimes, but he manages to fight it off throughout the whole night. He knows Louis is hurting and it hurts him too.


	9. Living together

They're having their weekly pack dinner and everything is going smoothly, as usual, except for the fact he feels so on edge he might flip the fucking table.  
  
He's nervously bouncing his leg, never forgetting to check on everyone, always controlling every movement of the new members, but still unable to stop obsessing over him.  
  
He scoffs, biting into a carrot. He chews with his mouth open, getting more and more agitated.  
  
He feels a hand slapping him on the shoulder.  
  
"What's up, you furious rabbit?" Nick mocks him.  
  
Harry slams the carrot back on the table, ignoring more than one questioning look.  
  
Nick pouts and tilts his head, visibly amused by Harry's frustration.  
  
"Is it because you wife ditched dinner?"  
  
Harry clenches his fists, stuck between the desire to slap his stupid face and the idea of how much drama that would cause among the pack. He ends up deciding it's not worth the trouble.  
  
"I am not in the mood, Nick." he mumbles, looking him dead in the eye.  
  
Of course to his friend it sounds more like "Please, Nick, go on. Make me even more upset than I am!" because he drags his chair closer to Harry, putting an arm around his shoulders.  
  
Harry rolls his eyes, already sick of him.  
  
Nick looks around, quickly making sure no one is listening, then his mouth is near Harry's ear, whispering.  
  
"For what it's worth, we all think your wife is smoking hot."  
  
Next he gives him a peck on the cheek and gets back to his dinner.  
  
Harry can't even explain how he feels about what just happened.  
  
He stares at Nick for a long minute, trying to figure out how to respond and all he can blurt out turns out to be "Whatever. But he's not my wife", crossing his arms like an angry child.  
  
Nick shakes his head and starts laughing at him, looking pretty happy Harry took the bait.  
  
His hands are on him again, slapping his chest.  
  
Harry coughs and pushes him away, dangerously close to losing his temper.  
  
But Nick has never been good at reading body language or facial expressions.  
  
"Come on, Harry! Don't fuck with me!" he provokes him.  
  
Then he gets closer again, lowering his voice.  
  
"Such a pretty face, that one. Rosy lips, button nose, blue eyes." he pauses, looking around once again.  
  
"Oh, and don't get me started on his little body. I mean..."  
  
"Don't start then." Harry cuts him off.  
  
He gets up, going through all the different ways he could dispose of a body.

 

 

 

Among many other reasons, Harry stands out in his pack for his keen sense of smell.  
  
He spots walkers, a change in weather, an animal approaching, a watercourse nearby.  
  
And he easily recognizes fear, threat, submission.  
  
He's standing right there, in front of his bed, holding a huge tray of food and asking himself when it happened. When did he start getting old? Did it fucking happen overnight or something?  
  
'Cause he's just right there, standing in front of his bed, and Louis is curled up under the covers, smelling like something he can't determine.  
  
He clears his throat and the omega slowly rolls over and his head pops out.  
  
"What." he mumbles, looking...bored? Annoyed?  
  
Nah, doesn't smell like it.  
  
"Thought you'd be hungry."  
  
He puts the tray on the nightstand, waiting for Louis to do or say something, but the omega just keeps staring at him.  
  
It takes him quite a while, but he gets the message in the end.  
  
"I guess I'll...guess I'll just go, then."  
  
He quickly turns around and leaves the room, quietly insulting himself for trying to be nice. Why does he even bother.  
  
He's going down the stairs but he finds himself stuck on the last step, turning around once again.  
  
Did he hear something or are his ears giving up on him as well?  
  
He goes back to the bedroom.  
  
Louis is sitting now, crossed legs and fluffy hair. Looking so cute Harry wants to slap himself for even thinking about it.  
  
As it turns out, being an alpha doesn't always work to his advantage.  
  
Especially the moment you have an omega, and not just an ordinary omega, but a sweet, small, gorgeous Louis, looking pretty and sleepy on your bed.  
  
Oh, and also, now he's your mate, so good luck with that.  
  
"Did you call me? You okay?" he asks, a bit too rushed to sound uninterested.  
  
Louis bites hard on his lower lip, before nodding.  
  
That scent is still in the air and Harry is going crazy trying to identify it.  
  
Louis rubs his eyes and, finally, he speaks.  
  
"I wanted to ask you a favor." he whispers, immediately dropping his gaze.  
  
He goes quiet again for a little while.  
  
Harry doesn't move an inch, still in the middle of his secret investigation. What the fuck is that smell.  
  
"My neck hurts, like...a lot." Louis explains, nervously scratching his nose.  
  
So that's what it was.  
  
Harry's face lights up.  
  
"Oh."  
  
Embarrassment. That's what it was.  
  
Harry gets closer, until he's sitting beside him. Louis' struggling a bit with his breathing now.  
  
The alpha brushes a finger on his bond mark. It feels warm, the blood is pulsing hard under the thin layer of skin.  
  
Louis whines softly, blushing right after.  
  
Harry smiles.  
  
Seeing the bite, feeling his omega's arousal and tenderness makes the alpha proud.  
  
But it makes Harry fucking annoyed.  
  
They're both stuck with feelings that are rapidly taking over them, messing with their heads and their behavior.  
  
Harry hesitates just for a second, pressing the tip of his index finger or the fresh wound, licking his lips when Louis hisses.  
  
Then he's up, closer to the door and already miles away from him.  
  
"I'm sorry, I can't do that." he apologizes, tucking a strand of his long hair behind his ear.  
  
Louis' sadness is something he's still able to notice, apparently.  
  
It makes him want to go back, lap at his neck, maybe hold him for a while.  
  
But that's only his instinct acting up.  
  
"I don't want you to get attached."  
  
The door shuts and Louis' wound is still hurting, as Harry runs down the stairs and leaves the house.

 

 

 

Now who the fuck does he think he is.  
  
Louis wants to strangle that bitch with his bare hands.  
  
It's not like he expected him to stroke his hair and kiss him goodnight, he was only asking for his help because he took a chunk of flesh out of his neck and now the pain is driving him insane.  
  
All he wished for was some fucking relief provided by the only person who could make it better and who bit him in the first place.  
  
He's so done.  
  
When Harry gets back he comes to a conclusion: the only way he can protect himself at this point is giving him the good, old silent treatment.  
  
The alpha notices he hasn't touched the food at all but, before he can say anything, Louis storms out of the bedroom.  
  
Someone's sleeping on the couch tonight.  
  
It's Louis, of course, but still, he's not sharing the same bed with him, even if that means being exhausted until the day he draws his last breath.  
  
Period.  
  
It's not long before he starts realizing he should have thought this through: it's fucking freezing downstairs.  
  
He is too cold and definitely too lazy to solve his biggest problem with the most obvious solution: the fireplace right in front of him.  
  
So it's chilly, big deal!  
  
He spent lots of nights sleeping outside, laying on the damn grass, and it never killed him.  
  
Well, it came very close to that, but it didn't happen.  
  
He curls up and he closes his eyes. He's shaking but he tries to forget, breathing into his hands, trying to find some warmth.  
  
Then a weird feeling hits him and he opens his eyes.  
  
It was Harry that was shaking him.  
  
His first reaction is yelling.  
  
His second reaction is throwing a fit.  
  
"What the fuck are you doing? You fucking idiot!"  
  
He gets up and he runs to the other side of the room, pressing a hand on his chest. His heart is pounding so fast he can't seem to calm down.  
  
"Fuck!" he adds, squeezing his eyes shut and focusing on his breathing.  
  
"You scared the living shit out of me!"  
  
Harry sits down, he ties his hair.  
  
"Have you quiet finished?"  
  
Louis gasps. He cannot believe this.  
  
On top of nearly giving him a stroke, he had the nerve to throw one of Louis' favorite snarky comments right in his face.  
  
How is he supposed to tolerate him for the rest of his life?  
  
Twenty minutes and a hundred insults later, they are lying in bed together.  
  
Harry just wouldn't leave him alone because he can't fall asleep just as easily if Louis isn't there.  
  
He thinks it's funny, how something that's supposed to sound so sweet, romantic even, ended up just being something they need to do in order to get some rest.  
  
Louis hates it.  
  
He hates sharing a bed with someone he knows nothing about.  
  
He hates Harry's voice, reprimanding him for cursing so much.  
  
He loves telling him to fuck off, though.  
  
And he would love being able to completely ignore him, to the point where he forgets he even exists. But he can't. Some impulses are beyond his control.  
  
He wakes up three times that night, constantly finding himself somewhere he doesn't want to be. He opens his eyes and the first thing he recognizes is the way Harry breathes when he sleeps, 'cause the Alpha's mouth is right on his ear and somehow they ended up spooning.  
  
He scoffs and he rolls over to the opposite side of the bed, falling back asleep in a matter of minutes.  
  
This time he wakes up on top of Harry, head on his chest, hands tangled in his long, wavy hair.  
  
It takes him a bit longer to back off though, because he absolutely hates to admit it, but Harry smells amazing and, fuck, he's so hot.  
  
His chest is wide and strong, his eyebrows are furrowed and his lips curled in a pout, even though he's sleeping and his whole body feels relaxed against Louis' skin.  
  
Louis climbs off with a grunt, crawling back to his side and hugging his pillow out of frustration until he falls asleep once again.  
  
His eyes snap open as the light starts peeking through the curtain and if he could make a wish right now it would be having a rifle, so he could shoot all of those fucking singing birds dead.  
  
Harry is snoring at this point, and it wouldn't even be that annoying in different circumstances, but he's doing it in his ear again, because Louis managed to get close to him one more time.  
  
His face is squished against Harry's chest, one leg thrown over him, an arm around his torso. Louis wants to punch himself.  
  
He tries to get away from him and, as soon as he tries moving, the alpha lets out a low growl in his sleep and he squeezes him so tight Louis actually believes he's gonna choke and die. Luckily, Harry's grip gets less deadly and more affectionate after a few seconds and Louis considers giving up and embracing this torture, he would just have to close his eyes and fall asleep in his arms.  
  
If only he wasn't completely awake and lucid, he could really do that. He could forgive himself and pretend it never happened, he never slept hugging the most annoying being on planet Earth. He just can't let that happen, can he?  
  
He carefully wiggles himself out of the alpha's arms and he throws his pillow off the bed, forcing himself to abandon that incredibly comfortable mattress and accepting the cold, hard floor instead. He needs to keep his pride intact in order to be able to look at himself in the mirror for the rest of his life. He is so mad at Harry. This is not even his fault, he's totally aware of that, he really is.  
  
But he is so mad at him.  
  
"You don't need to do that."  
Harry sits up and he yawns loudly.  
  
"I'm leaving, anyway." he mumbles, slipping out of bed and making his way downstairs.  
  
Louis sighs and he gets up again. At least now he can have the whole bed to himself, no collateral bonding effects. He gets under the covers and he starts dozing off immediately, too exhausted to keep overthinking.  
  
So fed up with it, he realizes he's lying on Harry's side of the bed, breathing in his smell from the crumpled, warm sheets and he doesn't even give a fuck about it. As long as it gets him some relief and some rest. So be it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So living together is going to annoy them quite a bit, for a while.  
> Thanks for subscribing, commenting, leaving kudos and showing all this support <3  
> It's making me want to write even more!  
> Bye <3


	10. Making friends

It's not that Louis doesn't like Niall.  
  
That poor boy has been trying to catch his attention for days, for some unknown reason.  
  
Louis just doesn't see the point, first of all, and he already feels like they are too different to even try and become friends. Is that what he wants? Louis still doesn't get it, to be honest.  
  
As soon as Louis finally managed to leave Harry's house - which only took him three full days battling with his pride - Niall started constantly following around and clinging to pretty much anything to start a conversation.  
  
Louis tries to keep busy, carefully avoiding Liam and basically each member of his original pack. The last thing he wants to do is talking about it. It's not like his situation can get any less shitty by now, anyway.  
  
There's not much he can help with today, apparently. By lunch time the animals and the garden have been taken care of and the village falls in a lazy serenity. He might go crazy with how bored he is getting. Most alphas are away but Louis can see Greg and Nick sitting by a tree, chatting casually but still checking on him every now and then. He sighs.  
  
"Harry told them to make sure you stay out of trouble."  
  
Louis gasps, immediately turning around to greet Niall with the most enraged look he is capable of.  
  
The other omega shrugs, offering him a shy smile.  
  
"Why would he ask such thing?" he wonders, deciding to stop ignoring him at last. It's pretty clear at this point that he won't budge.  
  
Niall laughs loudly, his cheeks become reddish in a matter of seconds.  
  
"Guess he worries." he tries, nervously shifting from one foot to another.  
  
Louis doesn't buy it.  
  
"Guess he doesn't trust me." he replies.  
  
Niall laughs again, this time with a bit less enthusiasm.  
  
"Well, umh...can you blame him for that?"  
  
Louis' mouth falls open at that, as Niall starts blushing even more, to the point where he starts stuttering and sweating.  
  
Eventually Louis takes pity on him. He looks too innocent for him to hold a grudge against him.  
  
"I didn't...Louis, don't get me wrong. I wasn't-"  
  
"No, it's okay. I kinda saw that coming." Louis reassures him, finally granting him a smile.  
  
Niall seems to relax a little bit and he even gets closer to Louis.  
  
"Did you get used to..." he stops in the middle of the sentence, explaining himself with big and clumsy gestures.  
  
Louis chuckles.  
  
"Yeah, guess I did."  
  
He bites his lip, examining Niall's face for a while. He seems okay and the most interaction Louis has gotten in days consists in bickering with Harry about space and food and snoring.  
  
It's weird actually, realizing he wants to talk to him.  
  
"It's just that there's not much to do around here." he admits, sitting on the soft grass.  
  
Niall sits beside him, crossing his legs. He looks up, fixing his bright blue eyes on the sky above them.  
  
"I like it. Not having to worry about much, you know? The alphas do the heavy lifting and the rest of us-"  
  
"Just sit around all day." Louis cuts him off, suddenly feeling a rush of anger.  
  
Niall looks surprised by that comment, but not offended by it.  
  
He stares at Louis for a long time, like he's expecting him to say something else.  
  
"What?" Louis asks, getting more and more upset by his silence.  
  
Niall pouts and he shrugs.  
  
"Nothing, I just...I thought you'd like it here. Considering you and your pack used to live day by day and all that."  
  
Louis raises his eyebrows, taken aback by Niall's assumptions.  
  
An incredulous laugh escapes his mouth, leaving the other boy even more confused and uncomfortable.  
  
"Oh, Niall. You have no idea what you're missing."  
  
He jumps up, rubbing dirt off his jeans and throwing a glance at the two alphas not too far from them. Greg raises his hand and smiles at him but Louis ignores him. Fuck Harry and his big dumb alpha guards.  
  
He turns around, finding Niall still sitting on the ground, looking pretty and clueless as usual.  
  
He offers him his hand and he helps him get up.  
  
Then he casually throws an arm around his shoulders and he leans in, lowering his voice with the sole purpose of annoying Nick and Greg, leave them wondering a bit.  
  
"How about we go to Harry's place and we chat on the couch, where there's no nosy fuckers eavesdropping on us?"

 

 

 

It turns out Niall isn't so bad after all.  
  
Well, he can be pretty naive sometimes, but he's still fun to be around.  
  
Louis needs to explain quite a few things to him, even pretty basic things an adult omega is supposed to know.  
  
It sounds strange when he says that word for the first time, but Louis needs to get accustomed to the idea sooner or later.  
  
He can't believe his ears when Niall confesses he didn't even know that male omegas could get pregnant.  
  
"Oh my God, Niall! Of course we get-"  
  
He stops because the term still tastes bitter in his mouth and he sighs, trying to forget his present situation for a minute.  
  
"We do get pregnant. Nobody ever explained it to you? How about your parents?"  
  
Niall swallows hard and his eyes suddenly become sad and dark, devoid of that typical spark that makes them shine.  
  
Louis must have asked the wrong question, then.  
  
He quickly tries to get the conversation out of awkward hole and he gently kicks Niall's foot.  
  
"Well, now you know. So be careful under the sheets." he warns, squeezing his thigh and making him all squirmy and undoubtedly embarrassed.  
  
Niall looks like he wants to hide in his sweater and Louis can't keep himself from teasing him a bit more, riding the unexpected wave of fun that's washing over them.  
  
"You don't need me to lecture you on the birds and the bees, do you?"  
  
Niall bursts out laughing and pulls his sleeves down, looking deeply uncomfortable but still amused.  
  
"You see, Niall, when two people love each other very much..." Louis begins, forcing Niall to look him in the eye, climbing on top of him and lifting his chin with a finger. "They do some very naughty things together which bring them even closer. Here's how it works."  
  
He stops talking because he is laughing too hard to go on, while Niall's eyes get big and glossy, as he insists on hiding his flushed face any way he can, even though he is laughing too.  
  
That's when Harry comes back, invading their space and interrupting the fun.

 

 

 

He could hear the noise from outside and he immediately recognized Niall's laughter, which is absolutely unmistakable, but what he finds is not what he was expecting.  
  
Niall is all curled up on the couch and Louis is right on top of him, his hands lifted in the air.  
  
Harry is dead tired and he is so sleepy his eyes sometimes get unfocused, but he can still get the reference.  
  
Louis' frozen in place, with a finger pointing at a small circle he made with his other hand, using his index finger and his thumb.  
  
Even a child would understand he got busted mimicking sex, but he still has the nerve to pretend he isn't affected by Harry's presence.  
  
He slowly lowers his hands, resting them on Niall's burning cheeks.  
  
He smirks.  
  
"Oh, hello Harry. Me and Niall have a little game of charades going on here. Care to join us?"  
  
His voice sounds delicate and sugary but his eyes are basically pushing him out of the room already.  
  
He finally climbs off the other omega, plopping on the couch with a sigh.  
  
The alpha shakes his head.  
  
"I'm just going to say goodnight. I'm going straight to bed." he mutters, rubbing his forehead.  
  
Louis shrugs, immediately turning his back on him.  
  
Harry doesn't move though, and he is aware of how upset Louis is getting, just because he still feels him standing there.  
  
He reluctantly looks at him again, his irritation crystal clear on his face.  
  
"Weren't you going to bed?" he hisses, nervously fixing his fringe.  
  
Harry frowns.  
  
"Yeah." he replies, tilting his head. "You coming?"

 

 

Neither of them got used to it yet, and Harry's not sure they ever will.  
  
He has no idea how to deal with him, how to talk to him, how to stop him from being so mad at him all the time.  
  
Everything about them is so confused, their only constant is anger.  
  
Louis is mad at him and he won't even talk. Harry hears his breath getting heavier as time goes by, he glances at him and he sees the tension building up in his body.  
  
He didn't mean to send Niall away, he just wished Louis would understand for once, if he tried asking him for something.  
  
He doesn't even need to do anything, just lie in bed with him and allow him to rest with his mere presence. It's not his fault he gets restless when is omega is not sleeping beside him. Louis did this to them, not him.  
  
He fell asleep somehow, despite his resentment, still burning and shooting electricity down Harry's spine.  
  
Harry would probably not even care that much, if his omega's mood wasn't his problem as well.  
  
But it is, and it's excruciating.  
  
The alpha's been rolling in bed for what feels like a century, unable to get some relief and ignore Louis' distressed breaths and whimpers, unable to restrain himself from acknowledging his discomfort.  
  
  
He forgets his ego quick enough not to change his mind, and he simply grabs him and brings him closer. Louis is awake, he knows, and he lets him spoon him for once, giving in and sliding back into sleep.  
Harry buries his nose in his hair, breathing in his sweet scent while he can.  
  
It's not long before his body finally relaxes, and he falls asleep just like that, with Louis' warm body pressed against his.

 

 

 

Louis knew it was just a matter of time.  
  
He was just hoping that it would happen later on, that's all.  
  
He feels stupid, pretending he doesn't see him standing there, regularly looking at him, waiting for him.  
  
He feels evil, acting like he doesn't care, like he doesn't have time to talk to him.  
  
He just doesn't have the guts to do it, that's all.  
  
He owes him more than one apology and a big ass explanation, though.  
  
Liam's eyes drift away as soon as Louis lifts his head, so the omega starts walking away, looking for a more private spot. There's no need to call for him. He raises a hand as he moves, and Liam follows.  
  
They never needed many words to communicate.  
  
They're face to face now, still silent.  
  
Liam has his usual concerned look spreading over his face. His "Louis look".  
  
The omega grabs his hand, brings it to his chest.  
  
"I know." he starts, intertwining their fingers. "I haven't been a good friend lately, have I?"  
  
Euphemism of the year. He's finally the best at something.  
  
Louis sighs, shakes his head, tries again.  
  
"I've been kind of an asshole lately, haven't I?"  
  
Liam's hand pushes softly on his chest, almost making him lose his balance.  
  
"You're lucky you're with child, Louis." he warns.  
  
Louis bursts out laughing and he rolls his eyes.  
  
"Shut up! You're such a bad liar and you know it." he retorts, letting go of his hand.  
  
Liam keeps it there a bit longer, as if the beat of his heart is the only thing convincing him he's actually still alive.  
  
"Are you okay?" he whispers.  
  
He's giving him the puppy face and Louis is at war with himself, hoping he could just take it out on him and punch him.  
  
He'd understand.  
  
Fuck, this is awful.  
  
He shrugs, fakes a smile.  
  
"I've been better but I've been worse." he simply explains, looking at his feet.  
  
Liam sighs and before he can say anything else, Louis finds himself in his arms, held so tight he wouldn't be surprised if a bone or two snapped under his skin.  
  
He still smells the same.  
  
Like safety.  
  
And affection.  
  
And trust.  
  
Louis hugs him back, breathing him in and feeling it all coming back. How small and lonely he was, how weak, scarred, broken he was feeling, when Liam had found him.  
  
Liam got under his skin slowly and cautiously, almost unnoticed.  
  
Day by day, drop by drop, he got through to him and he healed him, for as much as he could, he put his pieces back together.  
  
Every now and then something still goes wrong, triggers him one more time, and that's when he shatters again.  
  
Liam is not afraid of his shards.  
  
He picks him up, he puts him back together again, again, again.  
  
He holds him tight for a bit longer, maybe fearing he will split in two, if he lets go of him.  
  
His arms fall to his sides, at last, and Louis is still standing.  
  
"Liam, I'm fine. It's fine." he mumbles, hiding his shaky hands in his pockets.  
  
"Everything's fine." he adds.  
  
Maybe he said one time too many and he's glad Liam knows him enough to understand they both need to drop it, at least for now.  
  
They avoid mentioning feelings from then on, only focusing on the facts.  
  
Liam tells him Harry has been nice to the pack, a bit cold of course, but still well mannered enough to keep everyone calm. He also says he doesn't always ask for him and Will to go with the alphas when there's something to do, whatever that might be.  
  
"We go with them when it's just about checking nothing got beyond the border but he won't inform us about other stuff. No idea what he's hiding." he rambles, as they walk through the trees.  
  
Louis shrugs, realizing Harry still doesn't trust any of them and accepting the fact he most likely never will. And, as Niall put it, can he blame him for that?  
  
Louis makes fun of Liam any chance he gets, 'cause that's the only way he knows to show how much he fucking loves him. He wishes he was better at that.  
  
Liam walks him back to what now is supposed to be his house, smiling at him one last time, before pressing a kiss on his forehead and leaving.  
  
Louis guesses he wanted to have like a serious, deep moment, with a cool, suggestive ending and everything, but Liam still manages to trip on his feet and make himself ridiculous.  
  
Louis laughs, making sure Liam can hear him.  
  
"Smooth!" he yells, before pushing the door open and stepping in.

 

 

 

 

Niall is simply shocked.  
  
"You're crazy." he sighs.  
  
Louis laughs, squinting his eyes.  
  
He nods, caught up in his own enthusiasm.  
  
Yeah, he feels good.  
  
"You bet I am crazy!" he yells, grabbing Niall by the shoulders and shaking him. "I am fucking reckless, right?"  
  
Niall starts laughing, but that same appalled expression doesn't leave his face.  
  
He shrugs, still stuck in Louis' grip.  
  
"I won't lie though, that's quite impressive." he blabs, unable to wrap his head around it.  
  
Louis lets him go, he raises an eyebrow.  
  
"So are you gonna help me or what?" he challenges, with the cockiest smile on his thin lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Liam is the sweetest thing in my fanfiction and he loves Louis with all he has, so get used to it ç__ç  
> Niall is a clumsy adorable mess, but you'll get to know him later on <3
> 
>  
> 
>  


	11. Breaking rules

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of my favorite chapters * - *  
> I hope you like this as much as I dooo <3  
> Maybe go back just a second and read what Louis and Niall say to each other at the end of chapter 10?  
> This happens a bit after that.  
> Enjoy! :3

Harry gets inside his house, already suspicious about how silent and calm it feels.  
  
Knowing him a little bit, Louis is up to something. It just feels like it.  
  
He moves quietly, inspecting the whole floor. Everything is clean and in order, which is weird.  
  
Louis hasn't showed much interest in taking care of their place.  
  
He's actually the one leaving clothes scattered in every corner and his shoes are somehow always getting in Harry's way. So something is definitely off.  
  
Harry's sure his omega is in the house though, so he tries to ignore the fact he's getting slightly concerned about him all the same.  
  
"Louis?" he calls, standing in front of the stairs.  
  
It takes him maybe five seconds, which adds up to the odd shit going on tonight.  
  
Louis jumps off the bed and, from the sound of it, he even knocks a couple things on the floor, he curses, he pulls the door and, finally, his head pops out. He is smiling.  
  
God. Now Harry's even more worried.  
  
This is it. This is the day he gets killed by the smallest, cutest omega he's ever dealt with.  
  
Should he even fight it?  
  
He sighs, closing his eyes for a second.  
  
"What are you up to?"  
  
Louis disappears behind the wall, giggling like a mischievous child.  
  
Oh no, this is obviously not good.  
  
Harry keeps standing there for a while, not sure whether he should get out of the house or run up the stairs.  
  
His curiosity triumphs over his gut feeling in the end, pushing him upstairs as if in a trance.  
  
"Louis?" he tries again "What did you do?"  
  
He follows his scent to the bedroom, stepping in and immediately stopping at what he sees.  
  
Louis is sitting on their bed, with his legs crossed, his little bare feet curling in anticipation.  
  
He's still smiling, displaying something Harry never got to witness before.  
  
He's fucking glowing and still, for some reason he's not sure he should ask, he looks so damn dangerous right now.  
  
Yeah, Harry's most definitely gonna die tonight. Fuck, he might as well give up without even trying.  
  
Louis is pulling on some strings he didn't even know existed inside of him.  
  
Whatever it is that he's doing, Harry reckons it's working.  
  
"Come in." the omega invites him.  
  
He is so gonna die.  
  
He moves forward, careful, skeptical. Kinda scared.  
  
Louis pats on a spot right next to him. Harry sits.  
  
"I found a way to keep myself busy in the village of boredom" Louis announces, as his hand slowly gets behind his back.  
  
Yeah, Harry is clearly about to get stabbed. He hopes Louis is not good with knives.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
The omega nods, suddenly holding something in his hands.  
  
Well, that's not a knife. It's not a gun either, so maybe Harry was wrong after all.  
  
It smells like food and he finally realizes what his nose was trying to tell him when he first got in.  
  
It's just food.  
  
He peeks inside the plate, lifting his eyes back on Louis' face. The smile turned into a strange grin.  
  
The omega places the plate in Harry's hands.  
  
"What are you waiting for, then? Taste it!"  
  
Oh, so that's how it is. He made him a nice dish and he topped it with rat poison and that's how it's gonna go down.  
  
That's how he decided to get rid of him. Quite dramatic. Very much in character, probably.  
  
Harry is still staring at the food, battling with his personal intrusive thoughts, when Louis leans over and he grabs a chunk of meat with his fingers.  
  
He lifts his hand to Harry's mouth and the alpha just lets his lips fall open.  
  
Such a pathetic way to die, this one.  
  
Louis forces his fingers inside his mouth and he quickly withdraws his hand.  
  
Harry starts chewing and, fuck, he didn't think a lethal course could taste so good.  
  
"Fucking delicious, innit?" Louis asks, liking his sticky fingers.  
  
What the fuck is going on.  
  
Harry would rather not make sure, but he might or might not have started getting hard.  
  
What the fuck is going on.  
  
"It's good. So you cooked for me?"  
  
His voice got gravelly and yes, he might or might not have a hard on.  
  
He wouldn't be able to say if it's because he hasn't fucked anyone in over a month, or Louis' smell, his hand in his mouth, or his tongue on those pretty fingers, or how smug he looks, or the idea of him cooking for him while he's away, or 'cause he's his omega now and that's enough to send his body into overdrive. Maybe it's the fact he's been fearing for his life.  
  
Fact is, he got hard and that's enough to make him even more flustered.  
  
Louis bites his lip, suddenly looking offended.  
  
What did he do now.  
  
"Cook?! No, I didn't cook for you, Harry!" he spells out, rolling his eyes in exasperation.  
  
Harry hasn't felt this confused since he can remember so he just waits for him to keep talking.  
  
Louis crosses his arms on his chest, he cocks his head to the side.  
  
"Niall's the one who cooked." he explains "I am the one who provided the main ingredient."  
  
Then he points to the plate still sitting in Harry's hands.  
  
The alpha looks puzzled.  
  
"Where'd you get it? How...what?"  
  
The omega is barely listening to him, too focused on snatching more food and sticking it in his mouth.  
  
Harry needs to understand, enough of this game.  
  
He gets up, thinking he won't be able to figure anything out as long as Louis is sitting so close.  
  
"Would you care to explain?"  
  
His tone immediately gets darker, assertive.  
  
Louis doesn't look too bothered by it.  
  
"God, Harry, how dumb are you?" he shouts, getting up as well.  
  
"I went hunting. I got a rabbit. Niall cooked it and you are supposed to eat it. Is that really so hard to comprehend?"  
  
Harry opens his mouth, trying to say something back, but no words come out.  
  
Did he really hear that right?  
  
"You went hunting." he repeats, fighting an unexpected urge to growl out of frustration.  
  
Louis picks up on that rather quickly.  
  
He raises his hands.  
  
"Calm down. No one else got involved and I didn't even need to get far to find a prey. Easy peasy."  
  
So he did hear it right the first time.  
  
Before he even realizes it, Harry is baring his teeth at him, still in control enough not to invade Louis' space.  
  
"Have you lost your mind?" he hisses through his teeth.  
  
Louis flinches but he scoffs, stomping a foot on the floor.  
  
"What now? What's wrong with that?!" he yells.  
  
Harry shuts his eyes, a bitter smile curling his lips.  
  
"Louis. You can't go into the woods on your own."  
  
He walks towards him, staring him dead in the eye.  
  
"You can't use weapons and I won't even ask you what you stole to do it-"  
  
"A bow and some arrows." Louis interrupts him, lifting his chin up.  
  
Harry snarls at him, he gets right in his face.  
  
"You won't ever do that again." he states. "Not in my territory."  
  
Harry's smell surrounds him, making his anger more and more clear.  
  
It should be enough to make him back off, but Louis can't bite his tongue.  
  
"You don't get to tell me what to do!" he objects, digging his nails into his palms.  
  
Harry goes quiet, he even stops breathing for a while.  
  
Louis feels his stomach twisting, the hair on the back of his neck slowly lifting.  
  
The alpha speaks again, his voice deep.  
  
"And you don't get to question my authority. I am in charge here. I make the rules and you follow them. Got it?"  
  
The omega struggles to keep eye contact, but he just does, unable to let Harry push him around like that.  
  
"Well, I don't give a damn about your rules." he barks "And I don't give a fuck about what you want me to do, I never will!" he adds, raising his eyebrows.  
  
Harry can sense his fear and he doesn't understand how he can still be standing there, an inch from him, ignoring the fact his body started to shake.  
  
He is so disrespectful.  
  
Harry snaps at that point, not able to control himself any longer.  
  
Adrenaline takes over, his arms move on their own and they catch the omega in a tight grip, almost lifting him off the ground.  
  
Louis wiggles, tries to free himself, he blindly punches him.  
  
Harry barely feels it of course, completely swallowed by his rage.  
  
Louis hears his alpha's growl rising and ringing in his ears, he feels his breath crushing on his face, quick and heavy.  
  
He swallows hard, closes his eyes.  
  
He stops moving, stops fighting.  
  
The alpha got to the point of no return and only God knows what he's gonna do.  
  
A hurricane of thoughts is wreaking havoc in his head, when he finally manages to snap out of it, opening his eyes.  
  
Harry's still there, huge, and tall and dominant and...fuck.  
  
They're kissing.  
  
Louis whimpers, his heart flutters in his chest.  
  
It's actually happening, right before his incredulous eyes, against his pursed lips.  
  
Harry's pressing hard on his mouth, still holding him so tight his arms are starting to ache right where the alpha's fingers are digging, and he doesn't even care.  
  
He kisses him back, letting his eyes close again.  
  
Then Harry moans, forcing his lips open with the tip of his tongue. Louis lets him in.  
  
Their tongues twist and curl around each other, and Louis would probably crash on the floor, if Harry wasn't supporting his entire weight with no effort.  
  
They exchanging breaths, saliva and resentment when a tiny bit of oxygen manages to make his way to Louis' brain, dragging him back into reality.  
  
The one where he and Harry have to resist the urge to strangle each other, the one where they do not kiss. Ever.  
  
He breaks the kiss then, suddenly turning his head.  
  
Harry looks just as shocked as he is.  
  
His hold on the omega loosens, allowing him to step back.  
  
Louis spends a good minute catching his breath.  
  
He brushes a hand on his mouth, secretly wishing it's gonna magically undo what they just did.  
  
"That...that didn't happen." he declares.  
  
Harry nods, he swallows.  
  
"Yeah, I just...I don't know what-"  
  
"It's fine." Louis cuts him off, raising a hand.  
  
He shrugs, forcing a smile.  
  
"Let's just forget about it, yeah?" he begs, biting on his nails.  
  
Harry nods again.  
  
He eats that same meat that started this in the first place, he gets out of his clothes, slips under the covers as if nothing happened.  
  
Louis lets him spoon him again, just to fall asleep quicker, he tells himself, as if nothing happened.  
  
He's already stuck between a dream and reality when Harry's sleepy voice makes his way to his ears.  
  
"So all you could catch was a rabbit?" he teases, holding him a bit tighter.


	12. Seeking advice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiiii <3  
> We made it to 100 kudos, yaaay * - *  
> Thank you, all of you <3  
> So here's a healthy dose of One Direction!
> 
>  

Louis won't even bother pretending he is not looking.  
  
He actually finds himself smirking, as the scene unravels not too far from him.  
  
Harry is clearly trying to keep his voice down, miserably failing every twenty seconds.  
  
"You were supposed to keep an eye on him!" he yells, throwing his hands in the air.  
  
Nick and Greg nervously look at each other, obviously riled up by Harry's demeanor.  
  
They look so stupid to Louis.  
  
He finds himself chuckling, always entertained when he's lucky enough to catch alphas throwing a tantrum.  
  
Greg is now trying to calm Harry, quietly talking to him. But Harry won't take it: he's pissed off.  
  
"Don't fucking-" he bursts, stopping just to catch his breath.  
  
Louis sits down, too amused to stop looking. He loves the drama, when it's not directly affecting him, of course.  
  
He gently pulls the grass, stalling and waiting for Harry to flip again, so he raises his voice and he can hear him again.  
  
It happens in a matter of seconds.  
  
"How hard can it be, really? What? Is he intimidating or something?"  
  
Juicy.  
  
Louis leans back, sticking his elbows into the soft ground behind him. He's aware they're talking about him and it makes the whole thing even more interesting.  
  
Nick scratches his head, he shrugs his shoulders.  
  
"What do you expect me to do? He won't listen to anyone, Harry."  
  
Greg quickly jumps in.  
  
"We really tried stopping him."  
  
Harry is visibly disappointed.  
  
"I expect you to keep an eye on him when I am not around." he spells out, clenching his fists.  
  
Greg shakes his head while Nick can't seem to stop talking and getting aggravated.  
  
"It's not like I could force him, for fuck's sake! Was I supposed to lift him up and drag him back to your house? Cause if you're cool with it, I won't think about it twice next time."  
  
Finally, Harry growls, shutting him up for good.  
  
Louis is secretly hoping someone gets smacked in the face or something. It would make the entire thing even more theatrical.  
  
But Harry soon regains control, stepping back.  
  
He whispers something the omega can't catch, he turns around.  
  
His attention is now on Louis who, in response to the alpha's fierce glare, just smiles and flips him off.

 

 

 

"So you heard that?"  
  
Niall frowns.  
  
"Of course I did. The whole pack probably heard it, Louis. Harry's growl doesn't go unnoticed around here."  
  
Louis giggles, immediately getting a bad look from the other omega.  
  
"Oh, come on, Niall!" he whines.  
  
He gets up from the couch, bending over to look him in the eyes.  
  
"I promise you he's not doing that bad after all. It's all an act." he reassures, with a wink.  
  
That only confuses Niall, though.  
  
He squints his eyes.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Louis immediately regrets saying that. His brain starts going in circles, sweeping away every good answer he could give.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
Niall pushes him aside, his frown fades into a smile.  
  
"Is there something you're not telling me?"  
  
Louis gulps.  
  
Fuck. Not this, not now.  
  
He's been successfully keeping himself from thinking about it all day.  
  
"Nothing." he repeats.  
  
Yeah, it's all fun and games until it turns out that Niall is not as naive as he seems, when it comes to spotting concealed information.  
  
"Liar." he hisses, as his smile slowly gets wider.  
  
Louis rolls his eyes, he puts his hands on his hips.  
  
"Fine." he scoffs.  
  
Niall's eyes sparkle with curiosity and Louis can't help but smile back at him, for a moment.  
  
"I'll tell you, but you have to promise you won't freak out or make it bigger than what it really is."  
  
"Oh my God!" Niall squawks, tapping his hands on his thighs.  
  
Great. He's already breaking the promise.  
  
Louis looks down, searching for the best way to put it.  
  
"He got all grumpy yesterday night and we started fighting." he begins, sitting down again.  
  
Niall nods, still grinning like an idiot.  
  
"It got pretty heated pretty fast. He got so mad I could swear he would kill me."  
  
Niall's eyes are about to pop out of his head.  
  
"And then what?" he whispers.  
  
Louis presses his lips together.  
  
"What?!" Niall shouts, gripping Louis' knee.  
  
Louis sighs, looking away.  
  
"And then we kinda...kissed."

 

 

 

"So what. Why is that so weird?"  
  
Zayn takes a long drag from his cigarette, completely unaffected by Harry's confession.  
  
Harry sticks a hand between his hair, he starts impatiently brushing it through his fingers until he manages to get it out of his face and tied into a bun.  
  
"Jesus, Harry. You are sweating, mate."  
  
The alpha ignores Zayn's comment, unable to stop walking back and forth through the living room.  
  
When he finally stops in front of him, the beta tries to make him come to his senses one more time.  
  
"Look, I get it. You have a messed up thing going on, there's no doubts about that. But that doesn't change the fact he's your mate now. Kissing is part of it."  
  
Harry looks insulted.  
  
What was he thinking, talking to Zayn. He doesn't get it, he couldn't.  
  
He is a beta, first of all. How could he empathize with him if he has no idea what bonding is about?  
  
Harry chews on his bottom lip, deeply regretting disclosing that information in the first place.  
  
Why did he think it would help?  
  
"You're fucking terrified, that's your problem." Zayn affirms, sinking deeper into the cushions, like he's silently informing him he has no intention to leave.  
  
Harry furrows his eyebrows.  
  
The beta puts off his cigarette in a plastic ashtray, taking his sweet time before explaining himself.  
  
"You're being a bitch." he simply affirms, as the corners of his mouth lift in a cheeky smile.  
  
"A bitch." Harry murmurs, blinking repeatedly.  
  
Zayn is still his perfectly calm self, when he slowly nods and "A little bitch." he adds.  
  
Harry still can't believe he trusted him to give him some good advice. Why is he even still standing there.  
  
"And what am I so scared of, if you don't mind me asking." he insists, too deep into it to let go just yet.  
  
Zayn laughs at him.  
  
"You are scared of him! He's confident, he's feisty and he won't take shit from you. He's pregnant, and that makes it hard for you to be an asshole, I suppose. He's smart as fuck, which makes him unpredictable. All of that stuff is making you panic and act like a bitch."  
  
He looks pretty satisfied with that and he ends his speech with a smile.  
  
The moment Harry's about to reply he changes his mind though, cutting him off before he even starts speaking.  
  
"Also, he's undeniably gorgeous. That makes you stupid. Not judging you, just stating the facts."  
  
Harry finds himself speechless again.  
  
He suddenly remembers why, of all people, it's Zayn he looked for.  
  
Because fucking Zayn fucking gets him, that's why.  
  
"I'm not scared." he mutters, letting his eyes wander.  
  
"I'm just...concerned. I don't want him to put me in any more trouble."  
  
Zayn closes his eyes, he nods.  
  
"I know." he says, stretching and leaving the couch.  
  
He reaches an arm out, to pat the alpha on his back.  
  
"You need to relax, Harry. I don't know him but, from what I could gather, I can assure you that if you keep fighting him he's just gonna bite back." he suggests, with a serious expression on his face.  
Harry sighs.  
  
Zayn's right, obviously. He hates that.  
  
"What should I do, then?"  
  
The beta smirks, lifting his amber eyes on Harry's desperate face.  
  
"You know what they say. The thing about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer?"  
  
Harry shrugs, still feeling disoriented.  
  
"Do that." Zayn instructs, before winking an leaving him alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Liked it?  
> Updating again soon <3
> 
>  
> 
>  


	13. Morning sickness

He gets too see him at sunset, while everyone is busy setting tables and gathering people. He catches him slipping inside their house, quickly enough that Liam doesn't even have time to say hi to him.  
  
Harry walks up to the door and he knocks.  
  
He stands there, asking permission to get inside his own house.  
  
Louis welcomes him with a "Are you stupid?" and a perplex look.  
  
Harry steps inside, following the omega into the kitchen.  
  
"I saw you sneaking in that way, I thought you wanted some privacy." he justifies himself.  
  
Louis raises his eyebrows.  
  
"And you were right."  
  
So he hates him more than usual today. Fine, he'll just deal with it.  
  
"Aren't you coming to the dinner?" the alpha asks, putting his irritation behind him.  
  
Louis shakes his head, his expression gets somehow softer. Harry senses his shame.  
  
"What is it? Too many people you don't know? Is that why you'd rather not join us?"  
  
The omega pulls a face, he leans against the wall.  
  
"Too many people treating me like I'm your omega."  
  
So that's where the shame is coming from. Harry starts feeling annoyed by that. Louis is acting like Harry's the problem, for a change.  
  
"I won't interact with you, if it makes you more comfortable." he tries to reassure him.  
  
Louis sighs, he shakes his head again.  
  
"They're still gonna do that. The fake smiles, the personal questions, the suspicious looks. I'm sick of it already." he murmurs, looking at his own feet.  
  
Harry feels a rush of sadness.  
  
He can't force him to go but, at the same time, it feels odd, walking out on him like that and having dinner with everyone...but him.  
  
It's not easy to accept his rejection.  
  
"But aren't you hungry?" he argues, realizing he hasn't seen him eat anything since the infamous rabbit he nibbled on.  
  
The omega finally looks at him.  
  
"I'm starving." he admits, pressing a small hand to his stomach.  
  
Harry winces.  
  
That's not okay. He can't let him run on empty like that.  
  
He just storms out, leaving a shocked Louis alone in an empty kitchen, and filling up a plate with just about anything he sees.  
  
Once he's back, he places it on the counter, waiting for Louis to start eating.  
  
But he doesn't.  
  
He's now gripping the back of a chair with his left hand, his other hand pressed tightly against his mouth.  
  
Harry immediately gets closer to him, struggling not to touch him.  
  
"What's going on?" he whispers, putting a solid effort into using a calm tone of voice.  
  
Louis' blue eyes suddenly widen, tearing every last hint of Harry's control out of his body.  
  
The alpha promptly covers the small distance between them, taking the omega's face in his hands.  
  
Louis lets out a distressed sounds that makes Harry cringe, before violently pushing him away and crouching.  
  
Harry's jaw drops, as he feels completely powerless, while Louis coughs and throws up on the kitchen floor.  
  
The omega stands up shortly after, his cheeks flushed from the effort.  
  
"What's that smell?" he asks, but his voice is barely audible.  
  
Harry's brain finally resets.  
  
He looks at Louis, then at the puddle next to his feet and, finally, and the stuffed plate still sitting on the counter.  
  
"It's the fucking carrots. God." the omega groans, turning his face away.  
  
Harry gently grabs his wrist, guiding him out of the room and helping him sit on the couch.  
  
"I'm so sorry." he whispers, brushing a hand over Louis' sweaty forehead.  
  
The omega shudders and Harry immediately withdraws his hand.  
  
"I'll throw them away. I'll leave the rest of the food there. You eat something when you feel a bit better, yeah?"  
  
Louis lets out a long, tired breath. He nods.  
  
"I thought the morning sickness was only supposed to happen in the morning." he comments, with a tiny smile.  
  
Harry chuckles, secretly fighting the impulse to pull him into a hug and hold him until his pain just goes away.  
  
Fuck, he feels so bad.  
  
He made that happen and he can't even make up for it.  
  
Louis tilts his head back, trying to steady his breathing.  
  
He looks so exhausted and so vulnerable Harry starts screaming inside his head.  
  
It's so fucking overwhelming every single time, having to go through his same emotions and not being able to remember how mad he makes him.  
  
How could he?  
  
He's doing a shit job at taking care of him, obviously.  
  
He got him pregnant, he bonded him, he neglected his wound, he let him go into the woods by himself, he growled at him and then he forced him into a kiss and now he even made him sick.  
  
Ninety percent of that is definitely Louis' fault but his stupid alpha brain can't seem to realize it, right now.  
  
He feels pathetic.  
  
"You want me to stay?"  
  
He hears himself saying it and it's already too late to take it back.  
  
Louis stares at him for a long time, suddenly very alert.  
  
He knits his eyebrows, pouting.  
  
"No. You can go." he decides "I'm fine."

 

 

 

Harry is restless.  
  
He's been automatically shoving food into his mouth until his plate emptied.  
  
He's been nodding at any one who tries speaking to him, without hearing a single word they say or caring about the confused looks they throw at him.  
  
He only manages to get focused again when he hears someone mentioning Louis' name and his body responds with a shiver.  
  
He starts studying his surroundings until his eyes land on Liam's face.  
  
He is smiling, talking to the only other alpha he brought with him, and his body language suggests he's calm and relaxed.  
  
Harry sighs and he turns to his left, where Niall is sitting.  
  
"Would you go check on him?"  
  
The omega sits up, replying with a sly smile.  
  
Harry looks down, pinching the bridge of his nose.  
  
"Please?"

 

 

 

Louis quickly discovers the beauty of having a small bundle of joy growing inside him in the following days.  
  
He feels like shit 24/7.  
  
His nipples get so sensitive he can barely stand the feeling of a shirt against his chest and on two different occasions he almost punches Niall, who apparently can't avoid hugging him every time he sees him.  
  
His legs hurt, his head is killing him, his feet sting with every step, his back feels bent in half.  
  
His entire body is leading a successful riot against him and there is absolutely nothing he can do about it.  
  
His condition is making Harry jumpy and anxious, which makes his newly discovered homicidal fantasies reach their peak.  
  
He gets so aggressive Harry soon gives up on him. That's when they completely stop touching and it's also when Louis' bond mark starts acting out again.  
  
Being an omega has never been this annoying.  
  
As if it weren't enough, his world comes crushing down even harder on him, when he finally agrees to let the only doctor in the pack check on him.  
  
She is all reassuring smiles and soft touches and infinite knowledge to Louis' eyes but she still fucking ruins him, sharing some damn details he never wished to be informed about.  
  
As it turns out, he's eight weeks pregnant now and all of his symptoms are completely normal.  
  
There is just nothing to worry about.  
  
He just needs to relax, eat, get as much sleep as he can.  
  
She tells him the baby is about the size of a grape right now, and that's not at all something he wanted to know, is it?  
  
That night he can't stop crying, curled up in a bed that's too big and too cold to comfort him.  
  
Harry asks him what's wrong, but Louis just won't tell him.  
  
He tries touching him one last time, but Louis screams at him and the alpha leaves him alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've updated twice today, 'cause I'm not sure I'll be able to do it tomorrow.  
> My girlfriend and I are celebrating our anniversary tomorrow :3 Three years in, still going strong <3 (why am I telling you this)  
> I'm probably posting the next chapter on saturday or on sunday and I hope it'll be worth the wait.  
> Let's just say it'll be best if you read it away from other people, it might get uncomfortable.  
> I really hope you like how the story's coming out, so far. If you want, leave me a comment and tell me what you think <3  
> Bye x <3


	14. Solid effort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so late. I am sorry guys, but this chapter really needed some changes in order to work.  
> That means that what was supposed to be chapter 14, became chapter 15. But it works now, so here: enjoy <3  
> A super special thanks goes to LeahNine: you made me snap out of it (for now D:), I am so grateful <3  
> Okay, you can all go read it now. Hope you like it! <3
> 
>  
> 
>  

He tries again, the next morning, even if it means being late.  
  
Nick is already waiting for him, Louis is already curling up, escaping his touch.  
  
Harry growls, too frustrated to keep it in.  
  
"Are you in pain?" he asks him, placing a hand on his back.  
  
Louis shrugs, trying to get Harry's hand off him in the process.  
  
"Just go." he mutters.  
  
The alpha hesitates, his hand still there, and Louis' breathing is getting uneven again.  
  
The bond is still a new thing, making the whole situation even more difficult, trapping him every time he tries to get out of it.  
  
"I can't go." he snarls, trying to make Louis turn and look at his face.  
  
The omega won't have it.  
  
He grips the covers, he hides his face.  
  
"Not if you keep doing this." Harry adds, finally breaking contact with the omega's body.  
  
Louis sighs.  
  
"I feel weird." He finally explains, shifting under the covers.  
  
_So do I_ , Harry thinks, biting his lip to keep it from pouring out.  
  
His hands start itching, that familiar pressure on his chest warns him once again.  
  
He can't will himself to move, as much as he tells himself it's time to leave, time to get to work, time to leave Louis alone.  
  
Louis doesn't want him now.  
  
The problem is, Louis needs him.  
  
He can try to push him away all he wants, Harry still feels his need and he still can do nothing to shake it off.  
  
Nothing can change the fact that Harry is an alpha, _his_ alpha.  
  
He finally steps back.  
  
"I have to go." he says, and it sounds like he's scolding him.  
  
Louis doesn't try to make him stay.  
  
"See you later." he whispers.

 

 

 

He can't stand her eyes on him.  
  
Can't stand the way she just expects him to talk to her.  
  
So he ignores it as long as he can. He pretends she's not following him around, clearing her throat, getting in his way.  
  
"Mum, I'm busy." Harry states, gently moving her aside.  
  
She frowns, and it's that exact expression that makes his blood boil with irritation.  
  
The one she used to give him when he broke something, when he came home too late, when he didn't ask for permission before he took her car.  
  
"Don't use that tone with me." she admonishes him, moving back where she was. In front of him and in his damn way.  
  
"I don't care how busy you are." she continues, shaking her head. "Lose the attitude."  
  
It's his mother.  
  
He can't yell at his mother, he reminds himself.  
  
He surely can't ask Nick to drag her away. How he wishes he could.  
  
Can't be the pack leader with his mother. Just her child.  
  
He sighs.  
  
"What." he mutters, forcing himself to look at her.  
  
She's still shaking her head.  
  
"Why haven't I seen Louis at all?"  
  
Harry's eyes go wide. He can't fucking believe this. She's treating him like it's his fault.  
  
"You're supposed to make him feel comfortable." she adds, lifting a hand up to stop his attempts to defend himself. "You are the one responsible for him, now."  
  
Harry snorts, turning his back on her.  
  
He feels her hand on his shirt, pulling him back.  
  
"I am not done, Harry." she spells out.  
  
Oh, but he is. He is so done, so done.  
  
"I'm doing everything I can. Get off my case."  
  
Anne laughs at him.  
  
She _laughs_ at him.  
  
"Have you discussed it with him? Have you asked him what he needs? Have you tried at all, Harry?"  
  
And just like that, he's twelve again.  
  
He can't believe his mother can't see past her nose.  
  
He crosses his arms on his chest.  
  
"Have you realized he tricked me? Have you realized I was thrown into this mess and I don't know how to fix it? And, what I'd really love to know is, have you realized I am not a child anymore?"  
  
His bitter smile dies on his lips, replaced by a stern expression.  
  
His mother slaps him on the shoulder.  
  
"You got him pregnant!" she barks, like it wasn't obvious already. "How do you expect me to even listen to you?! Be responsible." she blurts out, reinforcing her statement with a couple more hits to his head.  
  
Harry blinks at her for a whole minute, incapable to even come up with anything to say.  
  
Anne flips her hair, she fixes the collar of her jacket.  
  
Harry just waits for her to give him the final blow, at this point.  
  
_I raised you better than this_ , would be the perfect cherry on top of his crappy cake.  
  
She raises her eyebrows at him, lips pressed together.  
  
"You must make a solid effort." she declares. "A solid one. Talk to him. Take him out. Something." she instructs, poking him in his chest.  
  
Harry steps back, rolling his eyes.  
  
"And after he rejects me," he snaps "Will you leave me alone?"  
  
Anne finally smiles.  
  
"I will." she promises, right before kissing him on the cheek and storming out.

 

 

 

"What am I supposed to do? You tell me, 'cause I really don't know."  
  
Niall doesn't know either, that's why he just focuses on his own shoes, nervously tapping his feet on the floor.  
  
Harrys patience is pretty much gone, his mother slapped the last of it out of his body.  
  
"I'll take any advice at this point. Anything." he begs, hoping Niall will somehow come up with a solution.  
  
The omega is getting more and more uncomfortable.  
  
"Why are you asking me anyway!" he blurts out, shifting on his armchair and bringing his knees up to his chest.  
  
Harry ignores his annoyed look, too caught up in his own drama to respect boundaries.  
  
"Well, I'm not the one who spends hours at a time with him!"  
  
Niall raises his eyebrows, his blue eyes stare back at the alpha in shock.  
  
"Umh...excuse me. I'm not the one who lives with him, and sleeps with him and is going to have baby with him." he spells out, slowly standing up.  
  
"You are." he adds, with a little satisfied smile.  
  
Harry collapses on the couch, covering his eyes with his big hands and sighing.  
  
"He's being impossible. He's always upset and if he's upset, then I'm upset" he rambles, trying to catch his breath. "I just don't know what to do." he mutters, still hiding his face from Niall.  
  
He looks pathetic enough already. If the omega noticed he is kinda tearing up, he might as well jump off a cliff.  
  
He allows himself one more minute, breathing in and out. He needs to calm the fuck down.  
  
Niall feels just as useless.  
  
"You should ask someone who's close to Louis. Someone who knows him, knows what he likes." he tries, reaching out to put a supportive hand on Harry's shoulder.  
  
"That's why I'm here, Niall. You two are friends, aren't you?"  
  
The omega laughs and he shrugs his shoulders.  
  
"The fact I really wanna be his friend doesn't make us besties."  
  
Harry is desperate. But not that, he will not do that.  
  
"I won't talk to Liam." he states, crossing his arms.  
  
Niall blushes for some reason.  
  
"But you need to. He's probably the only one who can help you."  
  
Harry grunts.  
  
"Go talk to him. And stop thinking you can use me as you undercover agent. What Louis tells me stays between the two of us. It's not like he tells me that much, anyway."  
  
Harry scoffs.  
  
"So he didn't tell you about the kiss?"  
  
Niall's eyes sparkle with excitement.  
  
"He did, actually! I remember him describing it as weirdiful."  
  
He hesitates a second, looking down. "I think he made that one up."  
  
Harry is definitely interested.  
  
"Weirdiful, huh? As in...weird but beautiful?" he wonders, as a smile stretches across his lips.  
  
"I guess. Or maybe weird and awful." the omega replies, making Harry lose it again.  
  
He jumps up, throwing Niall a death glare.  
  
"I'll figure this out on my own. Thanks for telling me exactly what Louis told you, by the way."  
  
Niall gasps, placing both hands on his mouth.  
  
"I didn't mean to." he whispers to the empty cabin.

 

 

 

Harry forgot what it felt like to be embarrassed.  
  
The feeling is suddenly extremely clear. It brings him back to those awkward times when he had to hide inappropriate boners popping up at inappropriate times, or when he felt he had to prove himself to any alpha he met, knowing he might end up dead and deciding on letting go instead.  
  
As his body became bigger, his senses developed, his self-esteem sky-rocketed and the world ended, he got so confident that he forgot what it meant.  
  
He is a successful and respected pack leader in the middle of the apocalypse, for fuck's sake.  
  
Still, he can't look at Louis' face.  
  
The omega is puzzled, so he needs to ask again. He clears his throat.  
  
"I mean...one of these days, you know? We could, if you want of course, like...go somewhere and do..."  
  
"Something?" Louis suggests, amused and confused by the situation.  
  
Harry nods, even though he feels tiny and stupid and definitely not confident anymore.  
  
The good thing is that Louis finally decided to stop yelling at him or pushing him away as soon as he tries to do anything.  
  
The other good thing, is that once he does this his conscience will be clean, his mother will back off and he'll be able to focus on other things, other than Louis and his mood swings.  
  
He's finally looking at him, taking in that smug look he's wearing. If only he wasn't so cute he would turn his back on him in a second.  
  
But, of fucking course, the omega that ruined his life must be the prettiest little thing left on poor planet Earth.  
  
Harry is quite sure Louis would still be the prettiest thing even among the seven billion people that used to live on their same planet, but he puts that consideration aside for now.  
  
Louis raises his eyebrows, his face relaxes a bit.  
  
"Oh." he says.  
  
"Oh?" Harry asks.  
  
The omega looks down, hiding a little smile.  
  
When he looks up again, his eyes look clear and sparkly, like his doubts have finally been wiped away.  
  
"You mean like...a date."  
  
Harry remembers that awkward feeling so fucking well, after all.


	15. Bite the bullet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, dear readers <3  
> This damn chapter is finally ready and I absolutely love it.
> 
> Again, I want to thank LeahNine for her support and her insight. You helped me make this chapter ten times better than what I could have imagined.  
> Thank you <3
> 
> Enjoy, everybody * - *  
> This is my christmas present to you (and myself)!  
> Hope you like it <3
> 
>  
> 
>  

He's skeptical.  
  
He walks beside him, munching on a piece of bread, looking up at the trees just to avoid looking at his face.  
  
Harry keeps walking, keeps reminding himself this is just something that needs to be done.  
  
A solid effort, before he can say he's really tried and it just didn't work.  
  
He knows it won't work. Not with Louis.  
  
It becomes even more apparent when the omega finally decides to speak.  
  
"So this is it?" he prompts.  
  
Harry studies his face, not letting Louis' irritation affect him.  
  
He shrugs.  
  
"In case you didn't notice, there's no nice restaurants around here." he says slowly, trying not to smile at his own joke. That never looks good.  
  
Louis isn't amused.  
  
"Who said I'd like to go to a restaurant?"  
  
Of course he wouldn't.  
  
Harry presses his lips together, not realizing he's started walking faster.  
  
"What would you like, then?" he mutters, frowning.  
  
Louis lets out an exasperated laugh, flicking his fringe to the side.  
  
"Why are you doing this?"  
  
Harry hates that. He hates when his questions are ignored. He hates it even more when the answer is another question.  
  
Also, lying is not his thing. So he tells him. Kinda.  
  
"I thought we could try something different. Get some fresh air, maybe talk a bit."  
  
Louis stops moving.  
  
He crosses his arms, he raises his eyebrows.  
  
Harry feels he won't like what's coming next.  
  
"I like hunting." the omega declares, giving him an annoyed look.  
  
Harry sighs.  
  
"Not happening." he states, crossing his arms, mirroring Louis' stance.  
  
The omega offers him a challenging smile.  
  
"That's what I'd like, though. Taking a stroll with you is not that interesting. Just so you know."  
  
Harry bites his lip.  
  
He has a gun. Louis doesn't know, but he's considering handing it to him and dumping him there.  
  
"Think of something else." he suggests instead, voice low and controlled.  
  
Louis scoffs.  
  
"You wanna talk?" he barks, throwing his hands in the air. "Fine, let's. Why don't you tell me where you keep the weapons? Or why you haven't taught the omegas how to hunt and defend themselves? Tell me why the alphas in your pack do pretty much everything and let the omegas depend on them, in a situation that calls for a different approach. Mh?"  
  
Harry's never listening to his mother again.  
  
He laughs, his hand dives into the back of his jeans, gripping the gun.  
  
"You know what," he starts, noticing the glint in Louis' eyes when he sees the weapon. "Here. Have fun." he snarls, handing it to him.  
  
That has Louis smiling.  
  
Before the alpha can blink, Louis snatches the gun from his hand.

 

 

 

He firmly holds it, blue eyes travelling on the object, right hand caressing the cold metal.  
  
He quickly glances at Harry, then he looks at the gun again, extracting the cartridge to check how many bullets it holds.  
  
It's fully loaded.  
  
Harry laughs at him.  
  
"You look like a child who just got a new toy." he mocks him, crossing his arms again.  
  
Louis laughs too.  
  
He flicks the safety off. He points the gun right at him, cocking an eyebrow.  
  
Harry's hands fall to his sides, his eyes grow wide.  
  
Louis keeps his finger away from the trigger, contemplating Harry's face, reveling in his uncertainty.  
  
Now this is fun.  
  
"Yeah?" he purrs, stepping back. "Wanna play with me?"  
  
The alpha glares at him, his smile gone for good.  
  
Louis feels a rush of adrenaline shaking his whole body, gun heavy and familiar in his hands, heart thumping happily in his chest.  
  
"What, you don't wanna talk anymore?" he challenges, cocking his head to the side.  
  
No, Harry has no intention to talk. He just stands there, a loud growl slowly rising in the air.  
  
What's a growl to someone holding a gun.  
  
So Louis laughs again, he laughs 'cause he hasn't been this excited in months, he laughs 'cause his brain is going into overdrive, he laughs so hard his eyes fill up with tears, his hands start to shake.  
  
He's fighting his instinct as Harry starts moving towards him. He fights the urge to actually pull the trigger just as much as the one to drop the gun and lower his head in submission.  
  
He's so busy fighting himself he can't do anything when Harry grips his wrists, taking the weapon away from him.  
  
It happens in a matter of seconds, it's so quick he's still laughing when Harry pins him against a tree, breathing hard against his face, teeth in full display.  
  
He feels heavy against his body, his hands holding him so tightly his bones might snap any moment.  
  
It wasn't what he had in mind, ten seconds ago, but it makes sense right now, it feels like the only thing left to do. It sure seems fun, considering the idea.  
  
So he goes through with it.  
  
He returns Harry's stare, parting his lips, arching his back a bit, just enough to have Harry gasping.  
  
"What's your plan now?" he whispers, their faces so close he almost says it into his mouth.  
  
Harry's grip slightly loosens, but Louis is still trapped, he's hissing for the pain.  
  
Maybe not for the pain.  
  
"Harry." he moans. "What's it gonna be?"

 

 

 

He's tasted him before.  
  
In that crumbling abandoned barn in the middle of nowhere, he's had his chance to taste him and tear desperate moans out of his body.  
  
He must have fucked him at least a dozen times during his heat, he kissed, licked and suckled on every inch of skin he came across and now it's all a blurry, unforgettable memory he keeps in the back of his mind. This is nothing like that.  
  
After he pulled his pants down and stuck his face between those plump cheeks, the first drop touched his tongue and Harry moaned so _hard_.  
  
His dick twitched in his pants, demanding immediate attention, but all he could do was keep going.  
  
Take more, more, more.  
  
Nobody has ever told him what a difference it would make.  
  
How could he have imagined that eating out an omega and eating out your omega were at least a whole universe away from each other.  
  
He thought he'd go slow, enjoy it while it lasts, letting Louis get adjusted to the feeling and maybe punishing him a bit, making him beg a lot. Too bad his brain left the premises.  
  
Here he is, slurping and licking and swallowing and doing it all over again, while Louis doesn't make a single sound.  
  
The trees surrounding them, hiding them from what's left of the world, the forest as the only witness.  
  
Harry keeps going. He can feel his omega's need, his pleasure.  
  
His face is hot and slick by the time he manages to stop and that's when Louis lets out an exhausted moan, wiggling his ass and arching his back so hard he might break in half.  
  
Harry feels so fucked up he can't even unbutton his jeans.  
  
His hands are shaking, oxygen can't seem to flow into his lungs.  
  
He presses himself against Louis' bare ass, still fully clothed and painfully hard, still out of his mind and running out of breath.  
  
That has Louis almost screaming. The omega tries to speak but only delirious nonsense comes out.  
  
Harry wants to do so many things he ends up doing nothing and too much at the same time.  
  
He squeezes Louis' soft hips with both hands, he pulls him by the hair only to stop and focus on humping his ass instead, he lifts his shirt to touch his warm tummy.  
  
Louis stopped breathing a long time ago and, fuck, Harry needs to take care of this mess right now.  
  
He freezes.  
  
He lets go of Louis' nipple, resting his shaky hands on his thighs.  
  
He allows himself three seconds.  
  
Breathe in, breathe out.  
  
He looks down, mouth watering.  
  
His brain starts connecting the dots.  
  
Louis. Louis' ass. Louis' ass waiting for his cock.  
  
Right.  
  
He takes out his cock, gives it a couple strokes for good measure and he gently rubs it against the omega's entrance.  
  
Louis is biting on his own hand, eyes squeezed shut, face pressed in the grass.  
  
Harry bends over his quivering body, taking in the sight of his desperate omega for a moment.  
  
"Want my cock?" he pants, forcing himself not to break in. "Want it inside you, yeah?"  
  
Louis makes a distressed noise, but it doesn't hide his moan.  
  
Harry can see it, from the way his body slightly moves forward, that Louis is actually considering getting away. The alpha wants to laugh, 'cause he knows they're both too far gone for that to happen.  
  
He doesn't though, he grabs hold of the omega's hips, roughly pulling him back.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?" he teases, letting him taste the head of his cock again, pressing it hard against Louis' little hole.  
  
Louis laughs, but it sounds like he's sobbing.  
  
"Just fuck me." he chokes out, still struggling to put the words together.  
  
Now that wasn't so hard, was it?  
  
Harry penetrates him with one, deep thrust, watching his cock disappear inside of him. Hypnotized.  
  
"Fuck." he blurts out, tightening his grip on Louis' body.  
  
Louis chuckles, still in that broken way that makes Harry's cock impossibly hard, to the point where he needs to stay still for a minute, to keep himself from coming immediately.  
  
The omega manages to twist his neck enough to see his face, sly smile on his lips.  
  
"You look like a child who-" he whimpers, pausing to swallow around his words. "Just got a new toy."  
  
Harry growls.  
  
He thrusts inside him again, harder this time, using his whole body, determined to fuck his smugness out of him.  
  
Louis lowers his head, barely able to keep himself from crashing to the ground.  
  
Harry picks up the pace with every sound escaping Louis' lips, rewarding him for giving in.  
  
It's not long before he's past the death threats and the power play and his pride.  
  
He leaves everything out, until there's just the two of them, their bodies erratically clashing together, the forest around them as the only witness.  
  
Harry slips out of Louis and he flips him on his back, he quickly undresses him, finding his place again immediately after, between his warm thighs.  
  
This way he can see his face, he can force his little hand away from his mouth, leaving him with no other choice other than letting him hear his needy moans.  
  
This way he can kiss him.  
  
Louis responds to that, sighing and mewling and pulling Harry in, closer, deeper.  
  
The alpha suddenly pulls back, staring at Louis' face, flushed and hot, lips dark and swollen, eyes glossy, pupils blown.  
  
He licks his lips, letting go of Louis' thigh to brush his fingers on his mouth, almost choking when the omega lets it open to welcome them inside.  
  
He almost comes just looking at him, barely rocking his hips, Louis' face finally relaxed and sweet, as he suckles and whimpers, his hole clenching around his alpha's cock, exquisitely agonizing.  
  
Harry has a hard time once Louis gets lost in the longest orgasm he has ever seen, he can feel his knot starting to swell and he knows that can't happen.  
  
Louis spreads his legs further and he finally opens his eyes, lips still tight around Harry's fingers.  
  
Then he looks right at him, soft and beautiful.  
  
The alpha manages to withdraw his hand, quickly bringing it to the base of his cock.  
  
"I can't knot you out here." he apologizes.  
  
Louis nods, as the alpha unwillingly abandons the warmth of his omega's body.  
  
Harry comes on Louis' stomach, finally giving in and sinking his teeth in Louis' bond mark, claiming him like he's supposed to.  
  
As he starts coming down from the high, he tries to move, but Louis keeps him in place.  
  
They lie together in silence for a while.  
  
The gun forgotten, somewhere between the trees.  
  
The grass as their bed and the forest as their only witness.


	16. Rumor has it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi <3
> 
>  
> 
>  

"So we split? We can go together if you want, while Greg and the others check the other side."  
  
Nick waits for an answer but nothing happens.  
  
"Or maybe I just shut up because you're not listening to me, anyway." he adds, meeting Greg's eyes.  
  
The alpha shrugs, looking as confused as he is.  
  
Harry is definitely somewhere else.  
  
"I say we split." he finally speaks.  
  
He jumps up from his chair, quickly walking towards the door.  
  
"Nick, you come with me. Greg, you check the other side. We'll meet again at dawn."  
  
The other alphas burst into laughter but they follow his orders, going the opposite direction.  
  
The woods are quiet, the animals are hidden.  
  
Harry won't say a word and Nick can't shut up for more than a minute, which makes the situation immediately tense.  
  
"Think you're coming back any time soon?" he asks, trying to keep up with Harry.  
  
Harry frowns, still looking ahead.  
  
"Come back where?"  
  
Nick chuckles.  
  
"Jesus Christ, Harry! It was funny at first but now I'm starting to get worried. Are you okay?"  
  
Harry insists on not giving any explanation, trying to focus on the matter at hand.  
  
"If we find walkers I'll consider moving the pack." he states a few minutes later.  
  
Nick shakes his head.  
  
"There's no need for that. We chop their heads off and we're all set. Why go through all that trouble for a couple freaks of nature."  
  
That makes Harry stop, for some reason.  
  
He brushes his hair out his face, gritting his teeth.  
  
"This is serious, Nick. If too many walkers start coming our way, I'd rather start from scratch and get the fuck out of here. Keep your eyes wide open and stop fucking around. I'm not in the mood." he warns him, as he starts walking again.  
  
Nick pulls a face at him as soon as Harry turns around.  
  
"You're never in the mood." he whispers right after.  
  
The other alpha ignores him.  
  
They reach the western border of Harry's territory a few hours later, slightly tired but extremely relieved.  
  
"See? I told you we wouldn't find any." Nicks comments, waiting for a high five that Harry doesn't even notice.  
  
"Let's go back." he orders instead, ignoring his friend's perplexed expression one more time.  
  
Another hour goes by and Nick is going crazy with Harry's attitude.  
  
"Why the fuck are you so grumpy? Sex is supposed to relax you. You must be doing it wrong, Boss." he teases, confident he's getting a reaction this time.  
  
And he was right.  
  
Harry nervously coughs.  
  
"I am not grumpy, I am worried." he affirms.  
  
"And I did not have sex." he lies, carefully avoiding Nick's eyes.  
  
"Yes, you did."  
  
"No, I didn't."  
  
"But you did." Nick insists, running past him and then walking backwards, just so he can enjoy that awkward expression that's painting his face.  
  
Harry pushes him away, making him land on the ground.  
  
He then proceeds to climb over him, like he's nothing more than a pile of leaves in his way and "I am doing it right. I assure you." he announces, putting an end to it.  
  
Nick smiles, wiping dirt away from his pants.  
  
He pats Harry on the back and he starts walking beside him.  
  
"You dog!" he yells, before Harry's punch meets his face and his ass meets the ground. Again.

 

 

 

"We didn't find any more walkers, which is good. I still have a bad feeling though, call me paranoid or-"  
  
"Paranoid." Zayn interrupts him, lighting another cigarette.  
  
He blows a small cloud of smoke right in Harry's face.  
  
"You instinct is rarely off, I get it. But Harry, bro, chill." he chants, taking another long drag of his Lucky Strike.  
  
Harry coughs, subtly scolding him for poisoning the air.  
  
"I might be overreacting. But I'd rather get paranoid than be taken by surprise."  
  
"Better safe than sorry, yeah?" Zayn asks him.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Yeah? That's what's bothering you. Nothing else. We're all done here, then."  
  
Now Harry is confused.  
  
Zayn looks fucking disgusted for some reason he can't figure out.  
  
"Harry, cut the bullshit." he snaps, throwing the cigarette butt in the fireplace.  
  
He gets right in his face.  
  
"I take it the sex wasn't as good as you were hoping. Is your body failing you? I could get on my bike and go on a hunt for Viagra. Just say the word."  
  
Harry growls quietly, stepping back to keep from hurting Zayn's stupid face.  
  
"I am twenty-three." is all he can say, and it sounded a lot better in his head.  
  
That just makes Zayn laugh.  
  
"So was it any good?" the beta prompts him, a wide smile on his lips.  
  
Harry can't understand how the news could spread so quickly. He's either a terrible actor, or Louis has been telling everyone about their "date".  
  
That's not like him, though. If anything, he'd be ashamed of it.  
  
But then again, he'd be proud to tell everyone he had Harry at gunpoint for a glorious moment.  
  
Whatever it is, he hates that somehow everybody around him already knows about it.  
  
Harry's growl hasn't stopped yet.  
  
"It was mind-blowing." he admits, biting on his lip.  
  
Zayn nods, suddenly satisfied.  
  
"Good. Keep up the good work!" he advises, right before leaving him there like an idiot. Like he always does.

 

 

 

Louis is fucking livid.  
  
He can't even sit still, even though Niall seems heartbroken 'cause the little snacks he made were left untouched on the table.  
  
"Lou, calm down. You want something to eat?"  
  
"I wanna know why! Why do alphas think that having sex with us makes them cooler or something? What am I? Do I look like a fucking prize? Do I look like a toy to you, Niall? Do I?" he yells, banging his fist on the table.  
  
Niall flinches, as the tray falls on the floor.  
  
"You look like an angry mess, if you ask me." He mutters, getting down on his knees to clean up.  
  
Louis sighs.  
  
"Who told you? Was it him?"  
  
Niall shakes his head.  
  
"Nooo. Harry doesn't tell me about this kind of stuff. I've heard it from Greg." He explains, careful not to smile.  
  
Louis would probably bite his face off if he did.  
  
Louis' mouth falls open.  
  
"Son of a bitch!" He screams, banging his fist on the cabinet this time.  
  
Niall is thinking the kitchen is too small for Louis' rage and he considers taking him outside of his cabin for a short moment. Louis' next question distracts him from the mission.  
  
"So Harry told Greg? What for? Some locker room talk between manly men? Is that it?!"  
  
He wants to calm down but how could he, especially since Niall is shaking his head again.  
  
That can't be good.  
  
"Greg heard it from Ed. I think Ed got the news from Kevin. He's Justin's best friend, he must have heard it from him." He pauses, studying Louis' shocked expression.  
  
"Justin is Nick's cousin. He told him, of course."  
  
Of fucking course.  
  
Harry told Nick, then. Of course.  
  
He told Nick, who told Justin, who told Kevin, who told Ed, who told Greg, who told Niall.  
  
The question in Louis' head is still the same, though.  
  
"Why the hell are you people talking about it? What is this? Is it like a thing you do, sticking your nose in other people's business and then gossip about it? Is it some kind of stupid tradition of yours, like that pathetic dinner you have every week? Like you don't spend every single fucking day together already!"  
  
Niall frowns, while Louis is still catching his breath from his bitchy monologue.  
  
"One offensive question at a time, please." He mutters, looking away.  
  
Louis finally manages to sit down.  
  
"I'm sorry, Niall. It's just that I feel...watched. As soon as I do anything everyone in the village knows about it. It sucks, you know?"  
  
He looks up, but Niall is still avoiding his face, his eyes are stuck on the wall.  
  
He zips up his jacket.  
  
"Yeah, and it sucks to hear it from somebody else. You're here just 'cause this happened. Otherwise you wouldn't have told me."  
  
He sniffs, rubbing his eyes with both hands.  
  
Louis is, surprisingly, out of things to say.  
  
Niall raises a hand in front of him.  
  
"It's okay. I just wish you trusted me a little bit more, that's all."  
  
Louis doesn't even know how to react.  
  
Should he be feeling guilty? 'Cause he does.  
  
Great.  
  
He fiddles with his fringe for a while, looking for the right words to say.  
  
"I don't trust anyone, Niall. I have nothing against you." he murmurs, without even realizing.  
  
Niall doesn't reply, he just waits for him to go on.  
  
Eventually, it happens.  
  
Louis figures it out.  
  
"Tell you what. I'll try to get better, yeah? Wanna give me another chance?"  
  
Niall pouts, but Louis still has a trick up his sleeve.  
  
"There is something I actually need to talk about." he confesses.  
  
Niall's eyes suddenly come alive.  
  
He nods enthusiastically.  
  
Louis smiles at him, but it's a sad smile.  
  
He tilts his head to the side, pointing to the bond mark on his neck.  
  
He brushes his index finger over it and he hisses.  
  
"Still hurts. Isn't it supposed to heal at some point?"  
  
Niall gets closer, he studies the wound.  
  
"It will, if Harry...you know."  
  
He suddenly blushes.  
  
Louis gets what he's trying to say. He totally does. It would stop hurting if Harry licked it and helped it mend.  
  
That's what he thought.  
  
And it would probably be hurting a lot less if Harry didn't sink his teeth into it while fucking him, that's for sure.  
  
"Yeah, but he doesn't care much about it. I swear I have no idea what goes through his mind. Seems like he cares, sometimes. Most of the time, to be honest." he explains, getting up and walking towards the window.  
  
He could feel him close before his eyes actually confirmed it.  
  
Harry is out there, talking to a woman with a soft look in his eyes.  
  
He cares so much about his pack.  
  
The bond mark starts pulsing, making Louis moan in discomfort.  
  
Niall wants to hug him but he keeps himself from doing it.  
  
"I don't get it either, Lou. Why would he do that? He knows it hurts, doesn't he?"  
  
Louis wishes he didn't know the answer to that question. But he does and it crushes him every time it comes to his mind.  
  
"He said he doesn't want me to get attached."  
  
He chokes on his words for a second and that's it for Niall.  
  
He steps forward and he throws his arms around Louis, holding tight.  
  
"I am so sorry, Louis."  
  
Louis takes a deep breath, finding a tiny bit of comfort in Niall's delicate scent.  
  
"Hey, I'm okay. It's not your fault if your friend is an asshole." he mutters into his jacket.  
  
Niall lets go of him and he looks outside.  
  
"Why don't you go talk to him?" he suggests.  
  
Louis takes a deep breath in response, shifting on his feet.  
  
"Not now. Maybe tonight." he decides, rubbing his neck and still finding no relief.

 

 

 

Harry doesn't come home that night.  
  
He comes back in the morning, just like he did the day before.  
  
Louis didn't get any sleep.  
  
He feels tired and sore and neglected.  
  
He feels like he has no right to complain.  
  
He watches him take his clothes off and climb into bed only in his briefs, laying down behind him.  
  
Louis doesn't turn around. He doesn't want to see his face.  
  
Harry takes a sniff of his back, he slowly traces it with a hand and two minutes later he's snoring.  
  
Louis is exhausted but he can't relax, can't fall asleep.  
  
He wants to call for him and have some attention, any kind of attention.  
  
His neck keeps on hurting and he feels like he deserves it.  
  
He shifts multiple times but he finds no comfort.  
  
Harry growls and Louis stops moving.  
  
"What's wrong?" he grumbles, still half asleep.  
  
Louis just shakes his head.  
  
At first when he feels Harry's mouth on his skin, he thinks it's just his imagination fucking with his head.  
  
He hears him say something before he realizes he hasn't made it up.  
  
"I know it hurts." Harry whispers against his neck.  
  
Louis shudders but he doesn't ask, 'cause he doesn't deserve it. He did it to himself.  
  
He did this to Harry and he did it to himself.  
  
He shrugs, hiding in the covers, shying away from him even though his body is screaming for the opposite solution.  
  
His skin is craving his alpha.  
  
"You know why I won't do anything about it?"  
  
Louis shakes his head again, still unable to say anything.  
  
Harry pulls him closer, his strong arms close around his small body and bring him against his chest.  
  
Louis fights back angry tears.  
  
"Alphas lick the bond mark to strengthen the connection. It's part of the process. It makes you love your mate. Do you want that? Do you want us to fall in love 'cause we have to?"  
  
He stops to leave a small kiss on the wound, and that's enough to make Louis cry.  
  
He wants to say so many things but the words just won't come out.  
  
_Do you want us to fall in love at all?_  
  
That is what he wants to know more than anything.  
  
He cries quietly, to himself.  
  
Harry lets go of him, rubbing his back one last time, before rolling over to the other side of their bed.  
  
"I don't want that. I hope you understand." he states, as Louis keeps crying and his bond mark keeps hurting.  
  
No, Louis doesn't want that either.  
  
"You're right." he murmurs, once he's pulled himself together.  
  
He turns to look at him only to find out Harry fell back asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where are you though.  
> Hello? Is anybody here?  
> Talk to me? 
> 
> <3


	17. One more word

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, I'm back <3  
> Enjoy :)
> 
>  
> 
>  

Yeah, okay.  
  
So he pointed a gun at him.  
  
It happened.  
  
Louis still doesn't think that is a good reason to hold a grudge for so long.  
  
And Harry didn't seem that offended while he was fucking him in the woods.  
  
You can't remember to be angry afterwards, it just doesn't work like that.  
  
Someone needs to lecture Harry on how to deal with anger.  
  
Louis probably isn't the best person for the job.  
  
His solution to negative feelings is burying them under a thick layer of denial.  
  
Either that or seeking revenge. Sometimes being a bitch works too.  
  
He can't help it, it makes him feel better for a couple minutes.  
  
Maybe that's why he finally decides to approach him, ignoring the fact Harry's been keeping his mouth shut for an hour at least.  
  
"I'm coming with you." he declares, sitting on the counter right in front of him.  
  
Harry moves slightly to the right, still too focused on cleaning his gun to even acknowledge him.  
  
That is a different gun, Louis notices, softly kicking Harry's thigh.  
  
The alpha furrows his brow, still not bothering to look up.  
  
"You're not." he mumbles.  
  
Then he proceeds to put the weapon in a bag, moving on to the next one. Louis doesn't even feel anything when Harry lays a rifle on the counter top. It gets old after a while.  
  
"Where are we going then?" Louis prompts him, letting his legs dangle, letting his eyes wander on Harry's face. He sees him swallow hard.  
  
"I'm going on patrol. You are staying here."  
  
His voice is still, kept under control. Barely.  
  
The omega chuckles.  
  
"What?" he asks. "You don't want me to get hurt, love?" he provokes.  
  
Harry bites his lip, he slips the rifle into the bag.  
  
"Or maybe..." Louis continues, using his ankles to keep Harry right in front of him, pressing them to his sides.  
  
"Maybe you don't want me to hurt you. All those guns you got there. It wouldn't be that hard putting my hands on one, would it?"  
  
That has Harry smiling, stepping forward.  
  
Their noses almost touch, as Louis lets out a shaky breath, looking up at Harry's face.  
  
"Wanna try?" the alpha asks him, quickly glancing at the bag on the floor.  
  
Louis actually considers it.  
  
Harry is big but Louis is fast. Harry's fast too, but let's just say Louis is faster.  
  
Now, even if he somehow managed to get a weapon from the bag, he'd still need ammo to make something of it.  
  
It would only make Harry mad and then he'd have to fuck him again, 'cause apparently making Harry mad works like a charm on his hormones.  
  
Harry is a bit mad, now he thinks about it. He sure smells like it.  
  
"Why don't you just give me one, instead." Louis whispers. "I promise I'll behave." he teases, brushing his hand against Harry's.  
  
The alpha clenches his fists, his breathing gets uneven.  
  
"I'm not taking you with me."  
  
Louis scoffs, rolling his eyes.  
  
"I'm a good shot." he informs him, making finger guns at his face.  
  
Harry shakes his head, helping his scent make his way to Louis' nose. Louis tries to ignore it, he really does.  
  
"Zayn's a good shot. I'm taking him with me. You stay here."  
  
Who the fuck is Zayn anyway.  
  
Louis laughs, but he actually wants to scream.  
  
He presses his hands to Harry's cheeks, but he actually wants to slap him.  
  
"Maybe I'll follow you." he hisses, digging his small fingers into Harry's face.  
  
Harry smirks under his touch.  
  
"Maybe you will. Maybe I will bring you back here and have two alphas guard you till I'm back."  
  
Louis squints his eyes.  
  
What was that thing about anger management? He probably needs help with that.  
  
He surely does, he realizes, as his right hand lets go of Harry's face, fast enough that the alpha understands what just happened only after a few seconds.  
  
He grips Louis' wrist, pinning it to his own chest.  
  
"What makes you think you can slap me?" he growls, still stuck between Louis' thighs.  
  
Louis can feel the alpha's heart thumping with rage.  
  
"Let go of my hand." he snaps, trying to wiggle out of Harry's grip.  
  
The alpha doesn't let go, he actually takes hold of his other hand, forcing him to stop struggling.  
  
"It gets you hot, doesn't it?" Louis yells, making another attempt at freeing himself. "The way I push you around. Makes it more interesting to a big, bad alpha like you." he adds, trying to push Harry away.  
  
It doesn't work at all.  
  
Harry's as solid as a fucking wall, he won't move an inch.  
  
Louis finally stops fighting.  
  
He's almost out of breath.  
  
"It makes it more exciting, mh?" he murmurs, this time leaning into him, their lips so close he can almost taste them. "Thinking you could submit a difficult little omega like me. Show everyone who's in charge?"  
  
Harry wets his lips, his pupils dilating with every word coming out of Louis mouth.  
  
He pulls at Louis' wrists, shaking his whole body up.  
  
"Everyone in my village knows who's in charge. They put me in charge. If you don't like that, you might as well leave." he states, abruptly letting go of him and stepping back.  
  
He hears Louis laughing as he makes his way to the door.  
  
"You wish." he hears him say, as he steps outside.

 

 

 

Harry throws the logs onto the pile, almost killing Greg and not caring too much about it.  
  
Nick lets out a loud laugh.  
  
"So you wanna take it out on us, now?" he mocks him, bumping into him.  
  
Harry growls, shoving a few branches into Nick's chest.  
  
"Go and make sure every cabin is stocked. It's going to get cold soon." he commands.  
  
Nicks scoffs.  
  
"You need to relax, Harry. I'm seriously getting concerned for you mental health, buddy." he admits, throwing a glance at Greg.  
  
Harry bites on his lip.  
  
"I'm fine. Go." he repeats.  
  
Nick raises his eyebrows, letting the firewood fall to the ground.  
  
"Or you'll do what?" he challenges, invading Harry's space.  
  
The alpha growls louder in his face.  
  
"Don't try me, Nick." he warns, staring him in the eye.  
  
Nick doesn't flinch. He grins.  
  
"What? All this trouble with the spouse has turned you into a little girl? Are you afraid I'll kick your ass?" he provokes him, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder.  
  
Greg sighs.  
  
"Nick, he's gonna slaughter you and I'll be happy to help him. Cut the crap." he advices, grabbing him by his worn T-shirt and pulling him back.  
  
The alpha ignores his attempts of breaking the fight, shoving his body back into Harry's.  
  
Greg raises his hands up in defeat.  
  
"Okay. I get it, you wanna die."  
  
Nick laughs again, nodding in agreement.  
  
"Maybe." he replies. "If Harry has enough dignity left to stand up to me."  
  
Harry bares his teeth, slowly curling his upper lip, clenching his fists.  
  
"Last warning, Nick." he mumbles, as his face twists in anger.  
  
A small crowd has started gathering around them, alerted by Harry's growls.  
  
The air is thick with tension and it soon becomes clear that the clash is almost inevitable at this point.  
  
Nick looks around, Harry keeps his eyes stuck on him, studying his every move.  
  
The alpha turns back to look at him, an annoying smirk on his face.  
  
"Let's see what you got, then. Maybe your omega will start showing you some respect after this, who-"  
  
He gets interrupted mid-sentence by Harry's hand, pulling his hair and twisting his head to the side.  
  
"Nick, I am not playing. I'll kill you, if I have to. And if you keep disrespecting me, I have to." Harry spells out, voice so low only Nick can make out his words.  
  
The alpha still doesn't back down, though, as hysterical laughter keeps rising up his throat.  
  
Harry snarls, as his hand darts to his opponent's throat.  
  
A collective gasp breaks the silence around them.  
  
Harry slowly strengthens his grip, leaving prints and cutting the air from Nick's lungs.  
  
The other alpha can no longer laugh, as his bloodshot eyes start rolling back, but that irritating grin is still lingering on his lips, making Harry's vision blurry, his ears ringing, his breath shallow, his patience gone.  
  
Screams of protest start rising from the crowd, as his ears keep ringing, blood rushing through his veins, grip tightening.  
  
"Harry, let him go!" Niall shouts at him, triggering his anger even more, as Nick takes advantage of the moment to throw his strongest punch at Harry's face.  
  
The alpha grunts, blood spilling from his nose, finally letting his sore fingers snap open, unwillingly sparing Nick's life.  
  
He immediately jumps forward, trying to catch him again, but three alphas are already holding him back, everyone is shouting at him, Nick is licking his own scraped knuckles.  
  
"Feeling better, boss?" he chokes out, still fighting to catch his breath.  
  
"Glad you got some of that anger out." he adds, smiling once again, before disappearing into the woods.

 

 

 

"Maybe you should have stopped him." Niall complains, drawing up his knees.  
  
Louis throws his head back, letting out an exasperated noise.  
  
Niall knits his brow, making himself even smaller.  
  
"I thought Nick and Harry were good friends. Why would he push him like that..." he mutters, nervously pulling on the sleeves of his oversized hoodie.  
  
Louis doesn't give the tiniest fuck about it, but he tries to be mindful of Niall's feelings, forcing himself to shut up as long as he can.  
  
The other omega isn't ready to let it go yet.  
  
"You should have seen it, Lou." he continues, voice breaking. "I've never seen him so angry. We really thought he would kill him. Nick must have lost his mind."  
  
Louis swallows another snarky comment, he slouches down the couch, putting his feet on the small coffee table in front of him.  
  
Niall looks lost and he figures insulting Nick wouldn't help anyway.  
  
"I mean, they always play fight and stuff like that." he starts again. "But something went terribly wrong today. Maybe Nick has some kind of problem with him that we know nothing about."  
  
Oh, don't get me started on Nick's problems, Louis wants to say.  
  
Luckily, he doesn't get a chance to do that, 'cause they hear the door opening and they both freeze.  
  
"Nick is fiiine." an unknown voice states.  
  
Louis puts his feet back on the floor, propping himself up to see who it is.  
  
Zayn enters the living room, lit cigarette dangling from his mouth, firewood held tightly in his arms.  
  
He dumps it near the fireplace, then he gestures for Louis to make some space for him on the couch.  
  
The omega tilts his head in confusion, moving to the side anyway.  
  
The beta sits beside him, finally taking the cigarette out of his mouth.  
  
"You see" he says, blowing smoke in the air. "Harry's not doing so good."  
  
Niall is still curled up in a little ball on his armchair, eyes down to the floor.  
  
"Where are you going with this, Zayn?" he asks, not looking at him.  
  
The beta hums, turning to face Louis.  
  
He offers him his cigarette, raising his eyebrows.  
  
"Do you smoke?"  
  
Louis scoffs.  
  
"I am pregnant." he retorts, sharp teeth in full display.  
  
Zayn shrugs.  
  
"That's not what I asked you, but fine."  
  
That earns him a disapproving glance from Niall, but he decides to ignore it.  
  
"Nick is just trying to help." he explains, instead.  
  
Louis laughs at that, moving further away from the stranger.  
  
Zayn smiles at him.  
  
"And you are the reason why." he whispers.  
  
The omega opens his mouth in surprise, drifting his eyes to Niall's face to find some kind of support.  
  
His friend doesn't even seem to notice he's offended though, too focused on what the beta is suggesting.  
  
"You think he made him snap on purpose?" he wonders, as a familiar spark fills his blue eyes.  
  
Zayn nods slowly, smoking what's left of his cigarette and putting it out in Louis' glass of water.  
  
Louis gasps.  
  
"What-"  
  
"There you go, Niall." Zayn ignores him.  
  
Niall hums, pressing a finger to his mouth. He nods.  
  
"It's never good when Harry starts suppressing his emotions." he observes, as Louis' discomfort keeps growing.  
  
Not that they care.  
  
Zayn raises his amber eyes on his face, shaking his pack of cigarettes before his eyes.  
  
"So? Want one?"  
  
Louis sinks into the couch, angrily crossing his arms.  
  
"I said I'm pregnant." he spells out, diverting his gaze to the ceiling.  
  
He hears Zayn's lighter flicking, followed by the smell of more smoke filling the room.  
  
"Well" the beta says, inhaling. "All we can do is try to understand he's going through a rough time while trying to do what's best for all of us."  
  
He stops, sitting up and clearing his throat.  
  
Louis turns to look at him.  
  
"All of us." Zayn repeats, once he has Louis' attention.  
  
Louis runs a hand through his hair, sighing.  
  
"If the offer still stands" he tells him "I'll take that cigarette now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Did you like it?  
> Talk to me <3


	18. Blow me away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, there is a reason why the title of this chapter is BLOW ME away. Go find out, go.

"You know what, I don't deserve this." Harry states, wrapping a towel around his naked body.  
  
Zayn only looks at him.  
  
The alpha gets away from the river, snatching clean clothes out of Zayn's hands.  
  
"I am a fucking good person." He mumbles, with his head still stuck in the collar of his shirt.  
  
He pauses, like he's not so sure of it for a second.  
  
"I'm not saying I'm perfect." He clarifies, pulling his briefs up.  
  
"But I am not a bad person and I don't deserve this." He repeats, zipping up his jeans and tying his wet hair into a bun.  
  
Zayn is sitting under a tree, eyes closed as a light breeze hits his face.  
  
He smiles, aware of the fact the alpha is looking at him.  
  
"You mean the apocalypse? Or Louis?"  
  
Something hits his head and his eyes snap open, only to find out it's Harry's dirty clothes.  
  
He carefully lifts a damp T-shirt away from his shoulder, dumping it on the ground.  
  
"You know what I mean." Harry grunts, turning his back on him.  
  
Zayn responds with a cheerful burst of laughter.  
  
"Come here, Harry. Come sit." He invites him, lifting a hand.  
  
The alpha insults him under his breath, but he listens to him. He rubs his naked feet on the grass, waiting for Zayn to at least magically solve all of his problems.  
  
"I saw him up close today." The beta tells him, leaning back against the tree.  
  
Harry swallows.  
  
"And?"  
  
"He's really pretty."  
  
"So what? How does that help?"  
  
Zayn blinks, suddenly looking offended.  
  
"It doesn't. I'm actually quite sure it makes it worse for you."  
  
Harry pinches the bridge of his nose, sighing.  
  
"You have to give him some time." The beta suggests, nudging him to properly get his attention.  
  
"Some time for what?! I'm the one who's supposed to be struggling here!" The alpha blurts out.  
  
"I need to take care of the pack, keep walkers out of the territory, get food, get meds, get firewood, get weapons and what do I get?"  
  
He stops only because he's out of breath, so Zayn speaks this time.  
  
"What does he get?" He asks him, looking more serious than ever.  
  
Harry hesitates.  
  
"You realize what he's done, right? Why he's done it?"  
  
So now Zayn expects him to feel sorry for Louis, why not.  
  
Harry is nervously biting on his own finger, too annoyed to even look him in the eyes.  
  
The beta stretches out his legs.  
  
"You wanna go back?"  
  
Harry shakes his head, tasting blood on the tip of his tongue. He lets his hands fall to his sides.  
  
"I wanna go back in time." He admits.  
  
"I shouldn't have listened to any of you. I had a bad feeling about him. I knew something was up."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, you are always right and we are a bunch of idiots, I got it." Zayn cuts him off.  
  
Harry feels the urge to growl, but he goes quiet.  
  
"There's a reason why you're the leader Harry."  
  
The alpha grunts.  
  
"And why is that?" He questions, not remembering why he accepted the position anymore.  
  
Zayn offers him a sweet, genuine smile.  
  
"Because you are a good person. You said it yourself."  
  
"I came this close to killing Nick today."  
  
Zayn rolls his eyes, deciding to avoid the topic.  
  
"Louis did what you do on a daily basis, if you think about it."  
  
He turns to look at the alpha.  
  
"He made a decision. He put his pack first. He did what he had to do."  
  
Fuck, how can Zayn make so much sense when Harry just wants to be mad and complain and put the blame on somebody. He can't stand him.  
  
"I can't stand you." He spits out, frowning.  
  
Zayn giggles.  
  
"I'll learn to live with that."  
  
The sun starts disappearing behind the forest as they start walking back to the village, as Harry realizes he's going to see his omega again, and his heart begins thumping louder in his chest.

 

 

 

Louis convinces himself to leave Niall's couch after dinner, even though Niall's pout does things to him.  
  
"Enough of that." he scolds him. "I have to go."  
  
Niall nods, sad eyes widening.  
  
"Okay." he whispers, moving aside to let Louis walk towards the door.  
  
He's about to step out, but Niall asks him something, making everything shift.  
  
"What are you going to do tonight? Are you going to talk to him at all?" he asks, too curious to just let him leave like that.  
  
That's when it hits him.  
  
He turns around, letting the door handle go, eyes sparkling.  
  
"No, I'm not going to talk, Niall." he says, as a crazy smile stretches across his lips.  
  
The other omega is just confused, even though Louis seems to have realized something important.  
  
"What?" he prompts, scratching the back of his head.  
  
Louis nods, again and again, getting serious all of a sudden.  
  
"You're a genius." he comments, smacking a kiss on his cheek.  
  
Niall thanks him, frowning.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about, though." he confesses.  
  
Louis puts both hands on his shoulders, a fond look on his face.  
  
"I'm still gonna use my mouth, alright." he whispers, smirking.  
  
Niall doesn't get the hint.  
  
"To do what?" he blurts out, feeling dumber by the second.  
  
Louis tilts his head, smiling wider, teeth in full display.  
  
"I'm going to blow him." he explains.  
  
Niall looks unimpressed.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Louis starts laughing at that point, because he can't help it this time.  
  
"Oooh, Niall." he chants.  
  
Then he makes a gesture and Niall decides he asked enough questions for today.  
  
Definitely more than enough.

 

 

 

He waits for him for at least an hour, a long, endless, stressful hour, spent going in circles in his head.  
  
As the clock keeps ticking Louis starts doubting what at first seemed like a flawless idea, questioning himself and his hormones.  
  
Maybe it's the pregnancy, maybe it's the bond, maybe it's just a damn good idea.  
  
He tries to shake the hesitation off, as the clock keeps ticking and he unexpectedly gets more and more excited.  
  
He goes through his fuzzy memories, unable to deal with the fact that he's never done this with Harry, not even during his heat.  
  
Which is weird, considering how bad he was gagging for it.  
  
He probably doesn't remember it too well, after all.  
  
Harry's scent tells him he's finally arrived before his eyes get to see him.  
  
The alpha walks through the door and Louis' confidence slips away from his body, wiped away like a speck of dust.  
  
"Hi." he blurts out.  
  
Harry fakes a smile, taking his shoes off and sighing.  
  
What was Louis going to do again?  
  
He bites the inside of his cheeks, observing the alpha stretching his sore limbs, rushing to the couch and heavily collapsing on it.  
  
Louis keeps standing in front of the door for a while, insulting himself for being such a coward.  
  
So is it a good idea or not?  
  
"Are you okay?" Harry's hoarse voice asks, followed by a yawn.  
  
Louis chases the sound, trying to silence his inner bitch with every step he takes.  
  
He can do this. And he will.  
  
God, is he even going to remember how to do it?  
  
He keeps panicking, standing like an idiot in front of the couch.  
  
Harry looks concerned.  
  
"Louis. Are you okay?" he whispers, quickly sitting up.  
  
The omega nods, but that doesn't interrupt the conversation he needs to have with himself, not even noticing the bruise around Harry's nose does.  
  
"Just a second." he murmurs, lifting his index finger.  
  
Come on now, how hard could it be?  
  
You just shove it in your mouth and that's pretty much it, if he remembers correctly.  
  
His high school boyfriend used to love it, which is a good sign.  
  
Or maybe he was just a horny teenager and Louis wasn't that skilled at all.  
  
He looks down at Harry, wiping his sweaty palms on the back of his jeans.  
  
"I was thinking..." he tries, losing his grip once again.  
  
Harry nods, encouraging him to go on.  
  
Louis inhales sharply.  
  
"Are you tired?" he asks, mentally slapping himself for not making any sense.  
  
Harry doesn't seem to notice.  
  
"A bit." he mumbles. "Why?"  
  
Louis swallows hard.  
  
Maybe it's the hormones, maybe it's just his next mistake, and whatever it is, he's sinking to his knees, fumbling with Harry's pants.  
  
The alpha kicks his feet in surprise, gripping Louis' wrist immediately after.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
Fuck if he knows.  
  
Louis chuckles, wiggling his arms so Harry gets that he needs to let go of him, let him go through with this.  
  
Because it just feels right and that's all he needs to know.  
  
Harry looks shocked, but Louis doesn't mind, 'cause his hands are free now, and he soon discovers Harry got hard just from seeing him on his knees.  
  
"You don't need to do this." he hears him say, voice low and broken.  
  
Louis looks up at him, diving into the green of his alpha's eyes.  
  
"Hush. I want to." he simply replies, realizing his mouth is watering just thinking about it.  
  
He knows how to do this, he remembers now.  
  
He unbuttons Harry's jeans, roughly dragging them all the way down to his ankles. He quickly comes back up, palming Harry's erection through the cotton of his briefs, making him shudder.  
  
Nobody learns these things, he tells himself, tugging at the waistband and wetting his lips when Harry's hard cock slaps against the alpha's stomach.  
  
At some point it comes natural, he tells himself, planting a chaste kiss on the tip of Harry's cock, greeting it.  
  
He takes it with both of his hands, shivering at how heavy it feels, how warm and smooth the skin is.  
  
The alpha can't get that same stunned expression off his face, as he helplessly stares at Louis' hands, slowly stroking his cock, at his lips, wet and promising.  
  
Things like this don't need to be taught, they just happen, Louis understands, licking a long stripe from the base to the tip of his alpha's cock, sighing of relief.  
  
Just now he understands how much he needs it, now that he's keeping it still so he can finally get a proper taste.  
  
He inserts the head in his mouth, closing his eyes to focus on the sensation.  
  
He hears Harry gasp and moan, his own stomach tying up in knots at the sound.  
  
Louis doesn't know how far Harry's cock is being shoved down his throat, but Harry can see it, feel it, lose his mind from it.  
  
"You're so fucking-" Harry chokes out, stopping to catch his breath. "Good."  
  
Louis smiles around his cock, feeling the stretch, loving the burn.  
  
As it turns out, he is good at this.  
  
Maybe it's a matter of talent, he thinks, sucking harder, pushing deeper, tearing moans out of Harry's throat.  
  
The alpha is nothing more than a twitchy mess, his hands find their way to Louis hair, pulling him back.  
  
Louis mewls in disagreement the moment Harry's cock leaves his mouth unbearably empty.  
  
"You're gonna make me come." the alpha hisses, brushing Louis' fringe back from his forehead.  
  
The omega smiles, eyes glossy and glowing with lust.  
  
"That's all I want."  
  
Before Harry has enough time to react, he's buried again in his Louis' throat, surrounded by the delicious smell of his omega's wetness.  
  
Sometimes you just gotta take the matter into your own hands, Louis thinks, as Harry comes in his mouth with a desperate moan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love that scene. Did you? Let me know <3


	19. Up to you

"I hate doing this, Niall." Louis whines, sloppily dicing a potato.  
  
His friend gives him a dirty look.  
  
"You said you'd help me." he reminds him, pointing to the huge pot in front of them.  
  
"So stop bitching and keep cutting."  
  
Louis scoffs, pretending to stab the knife into his own chest.  
  
Harry's voice hits him like a slap in the face.  
  
"Louis, don't play like that."  
  
The omega snaps his head up, discovering Harry's standing away from him, but still keeping him under his watch.  
  
He immediately avoids his gaze, actually focusing on his task for the first time.  
  
Niall giggles.  
  
"That'll teach ya!" he mocks him.  
  
"Shut up." Louis retorts, face burning with shame.  
  
You suck his cock once and this is what happens.  
  
_That'll teach me_ , he thinks.  
  
Niall has never been this silent and Louis has probably never been this bored, which makes it impossible for him to keep quiet.  
  
"What are we making anyway?" he mutters, still mad at himself for becoming the little chopping slave.  
  
Niall beams with excitement.  
  
"Soup!"  
  
Louis starts throwing little potato pieces in the pot one by one, staring at Niall with unimpressed, disappointed eyes.  
  
"I'm proud of it. Everyone loves it and you're gonna eat it too." Niall affirms, poking Louis' cheek. "Because it's very healthy and it's good for the baby." he adds, with a satisfied little smile.  
  
Louis rolls his eyes and he makes barfing noises in response, so Niall figures out the sooner he drops the topic, the better.  
  
"So how did it go with Harry in the end?" he asks, after a minute of tense silence.  
  
Louis' eyes grow wide with concern.  
  
"Niall!" he yells, startling the other boy. "Are you seriously asking for naughty details?! Are you okay?" he cries out, pressing a hand to Niall's forehead.  
  
"No, that's not what I meant!" he replies, shoving him away.  
  
Louis cracks up, as his knife slips from his hand and gets lost in the bottom of the pot.  
  
"Fuck." he complains, sticking his whole arm inside of it to retrieve the tool. "If I can't find it, make sure it ends up in Nick's bowl of soup." he chirps, looking back to catch Niall's indignant expression.  
  
Unfortunately, he manages to grab it in the end, which brings him back to chopping veggies. He looks down at his feet, noticing that the crate is still full and he is not even close to being done.  
  
He quickly turns around, realizing Harry is walking away with Greg.  
  
Good, now the alpha won't be able to spy on him anymore.  
  
"So I sucked his dick." he announces, banging the knife blade against the rim of the pot.  
  
Niall chokes on his own saliva.  
  
"Too much information!"  
  
"Oh, shut up. You're dying to know!" Louis provokes him, nudging him and making him drop a perfectly peeled potato.  
  
Louis promptly kicks it away before Niall can bend down and pick it up, earning his version of insulting someone.  
  
"You are so rude, you know? You are...you're such a..."  
  
"Cocksucker?" Louis suggests, raising his eyebrows.  
  
"You know what?!" his friend shouts, taking the knife out of Louis' hand. "You are free to go. I can finish this by myself!"  
  
Louis gasps, wanting to mock him a bit longer, but really feeling a bit surprised by Niall's reaction.  
  
"Come on, I'll be good." he promises, rubbing the other omega's back.  
  
Niall won't have it, though.  
  
"No, Louis, I mean it. I'll talk to you later." he affirms, turning his back on him.

 

 

 

"Get someone else to help you, Greg." Harry orders, giving him the axe.  
  
Greg grabs his arm, clearly worried.  
  
"Is something wrong?" he asks, looking for a sign on his leader's face.  
  
Harry lets out a tired sigh.  
  
"I think so." he replies, turning around and walking away.  
  
Niall is still cooking, an angry pout distorting his face.  
  
The alpha lifts his chin with a finger.  
  
"Where's Louis?"  
  
Niall's cheeks flush red, his pout stays right where it is.  
  
"I don't know and I don't care." he blurts out, pushing Harry's hand away.  
  
The alpha won't investigate any further. He slightly tilts his head, letting the wind give him what he's looking for.  
  
He catches Louis' scent almost immediately, shivering as every step takes him closer to him.  
  
He finds him not too far from there, lying on the grass, a comic book held up to his face.  
  
Harry crouches down, gently taking it from his hands.  
  
The omega scrunches up his nose, he sits up.  
  
"Give it back?"  
  
Harry throws the comic book behind his back, offering Louis a smile as soon as they hear it hit the ground.  
  
"Why is Niall mad at you?"  
  
The omega laughs nervously, his eyes dart away.  
  
He shrugs, shaking his head.  
  
Harry's hand reaches for him, lightly squeezing his knee.  
  
"I think you know."  
  
Louis turns to look at him, frowning.  
  
"I really don't." he spits out, squinting his eyes in anger.  
  
Harry withdraws his hand, ignoring the annoying itch that follows every time he stops touching his omega.  
  
"Alright." he whispers, standing up.  
  
"Great." Louis retorts, laying down.

 

 

 

There is something Louis doesn't get about this village.  
  
Well, there's lots of things he doesn't get, but one in particular bugs him more than the rest.  
  
Why can't these people stop breathing down his neck?  
  
Why is it so hard for them to understand that if he didn't take part in the pack dinner, it's because he isn't interested in doing that?  
  
He sighs, not even bothering to turn around.  
  
"I'd rather stay here, thank you."  
  
He hears a musical laugh behind him.  
  
"Fine by me." Zayn replies, raising his hands in defeat and stepping closer to him.  
  
The omega gives him the side eye, pretending to focus on the old magazine resting on his lap.  
  
"What do you want then?" he spits out, finally looking up at him.  
  
Zayn smiles, the tip of his tongue poking between his white, perfect teeth.  
  
"Your boyfriend sent me." he casually replies, dragging a chair from under the plastic table and sitting down.  
  
Uninvited.  
  
"He's not my boyfriend." Louis rants, flipping a page.  
  
He hears Zayn laughing again.  
  
"Your boo? Your bae?" the beta tries, with the clear intent of getting under his skin.  
  
It's working, but Louis can't give that away.  
  
"None of that." he replies, faking a little smile.  
  
Zayn stares in his eyes, lost in thought.  
  
"Your alpha." he states, keeping eye contact, waiting for his reaction.  
  
Louis opens his mouth to say something, quickly realizing that there's nothing he can say to that.  
  
He bites his lip.  
  
Fuck this guy.  
  
"You can tell him I don't need a sitter. I'm doing just fine." he tells him then, making an effort to keep his voice calm.  
  
Zayn shrugs, slouching down his chair.  
  
"But I need a good reason to skip the dinner. You are the perfect excuse, Louis." he mumbles, sticking a cigarette between his lips.  
  
Louis narrows his eyes, expecting Zayn's quiff to catch on fire for a second. The beta puts the lighter back on the table though, his flawless hair unharmed.  
  
Maybe next time he tries that, his powers will awake. Who knows.  
  
He licks the tip of his finger, flipping yet another page of the magazine. Like he's reading it.  
  
"We have books, you know?"  
  
Louis lets out an exasperated sigh, bringing his eyes on Zayn's face again, squinting them so maybe he'll understand he needs to shut up.  
  
He finds him smiling, eyes sparkling with amusement.  
  
Louis can't keep his own smile from blooming.  
  
"I'm actually enjoying this." he lies, holding back his laughter.  
  
Zayn's eyebrows shoot up.  
  
"Yeah?" he asks, throwing a glance at the page where Louis' hand is splayed. "Brad and Angelina breaking up is something you enjoy?"  
  
The omega finally laughs, throwing his head back.  
  
"Couldn't stand them, anyway." he comments, throwing the magazine on the table.  
  
Zayn nods, smile still on his face. He keeps staring at him, until Louis' relaxed expression changes into an uncomfortable frown.  
  
"What?" the omega blurts out, shifting on his chair.  
  
Zayn observes him for a bit longer, finishing his cigarette in silence.  
  
"You're cool." he concludes in the end. "Don't get why Harry doesn't like you." he adds after a while, shrugging.  
  
Now if Louis was someone else, he might get mad at this guy. But, luckily, he's himself.  
  
"Don't get why you like _him_." he retorts, tilting his head and biting back a smile.  
  
Zayn's stunned expression is priceless.  
  
He slowly claps his hands at Louis' comeback, offering him a nod of approval.  
  
"So," Louis starts, crossing his arms on his chest. "Did I pass your little personality test? I suppose your next step is informing Harry of my score."  
  
Zayn slowly shakes his head.  
  
"The test is for myself." he explains. "I only hang with cold-hearted, cynical, sarcastic little bitches."  
  
Louis hums, rubbing his chin in contemplation.  
  
"And I only hang with manipulative, arrogant, disgustingly attractive assholes." he spells out.  
  
Zayn smiles, offering him a fist bump.  
  
"Guess we're best friends, then."

 

 

 

Harry's already in bed, by the time Louis goes back to their cabin.  
  
He's spent hours with Zayn and his alpha might or might not be annoyed by that.  
  
He's going to find out soon, considering that Harry is sitting up and patting the bed, asking him to join him.  
  
Whatever Harry's thinking, he's not getting head tonight.  
  
Once was enough.  
  
And good.  
  
Fuck, it was so good.  
  
"Had fun?"  
  
Louis flinches, quickly putting his considerations aside.  
  
Thank god the bond doesn't allow Harry to read his mind.  
  
He nods, smiling.  
  
"Zayn's cool." he says, getting out of his clothes and under the covers.  
  
He feels Harry's hand pressed against his thigh, fingers slightly digging in through the thick fabric of his sweats.  
  
Louis looks up at him, heartbeat already slipping out of control.  
  
Harry's gaze is suddenly different, insistent and burning hot.  
  
"Don't get into trouble." he states, keeping his hand on Louis' body. "Zayn can be quite convincing when it comes to doing something stupid."  
  
The omega blinks slowly, diverting his gaze to Harry's hand, until he drags it down to his knee and he finally withdraws it.  
  
He keeps looking at him though, eyebrows furrowed and jaw clenched tight.  
  
Louis pulls at the covers, leaving Harry exposed to the cold of the room.  
  
"I gave you a blowjob yesterday." He points out, with that snarky tone that makes Harry tense up.  
  
"The least you could do is be nicer to me." Louis adds, subtly moving away from him.  
  
Harry bites his lip, eyes fixed on Louis' face.  
  
"I am being nice." he replies, leaning against his pillow. "I could tell Zayn not to hang with you and instead I'm just asking you to be responsible." he says, pulling at the covers so abrubtly Louis almost rolls off the bed. "Asking nicely." Harry clarifies, smiling.  
  
Then he suddenly darts forward, shifting until he's hovering over Louis' body, curls falling down and brushing against his collarbones.  
  
Louis looks up at him, eyes wide, mouth agape.  
  
"Get off me." he spits out, unable to move.  
  
The alpha leans forward, inhaling his scent, nose pressed to his neck.  
  
Louis holds his breath as Harry pulls back and he drags his eyes up and down his body.  
  
"You can make this easy for the both of us." He whispers. "Or you can make it difficult. It's up to you."  
  
Then he rolls over to his side of the bed, spreading his arms open.  
  
"Come here, I'll keep you warm." he offers, like he didn't just threaten him.  
  
Louis pulls at the covers once again, curling up under them.  
  
"No, I'm good." he mutters, clenching his fists and letting his eyes slip closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think of Louis and Zayn?  
> Aren't they cute? * - *  
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter <3


	20. No way out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry.  
> I miss you guys so much and I miss my fanfiction even more.  
> These past months have been rough and I haven't been able to focus on the story so much.  
> I hope you understand <3  
> And I also hope you keep reading whenever I get a chance to post a new chapter, I hope you still like it.  
> Share your thoughts?  
> Hugs <3

Louis can hear Niall calling him from the first floor, yelling his name and stomping his feet like he wants to make sure Louis knows he’s there.  
  
Of course he knows he’s there, he’s not fucking deaf.  
  
He won’t make any effort to let Niall know though, ‘cause if he opens his mouth right this second he’s a hundred percent sure vomit is going to come out instead of words.  
  
So he leans back against the headboard, focusing on breathing in and out, in and out.  
  
Niall’s blonde hair is the next thing he sees when he opens his eyes, then he squints until his face comes into focus.  
  
Niall’s cute, concerned face.  
  
“Can I come in?” Niall whispers, and Louis is so grateful for that, ‘cause he feels like his head might explode.  
  
He nods and Niall carefully walks into the room, hesitating a bit before he makes up his mind about sitting beside him.  
  
Louis closes his eyes again, trying harder to steady his breathing, trying to convince his own body that it’s fine, he got this, he feels great.  
  
His body won’t buy it though, and he still feels like shit.  
  
“Harry warned me about this.” Niall says, brushing a hand on Louis’ shoulder.  
  
Louis doesn’t register what he said at first, too busy fighting a cramp in his back.  
  
“About what.” He manages to blurt out after a while.  
  
He keeps his eyes closed, keeps his breath under control.  
  
“He said you didn’t sleep well, told me to keep an eye on you.” Niall explains, moving his hand to Louis’ wrist and holding it carefully. “I thought you’d come outside, at some point. Guess you were too sick, huh? Sorry I came in, I was getting worried.”  
  
Louis forces his lips into a smile, opening his eyes and regretting it immediately once the light hits him, hard and intense and unexpected.  
  
“So you’re not mad at me anymore?” he asks, pressing a hand on his forehead.  
  
Niall shrugs, smiling back at him.  
  
“Not really, no. Actually I-“  
  
“It’s okay, Niall.” Louis whispers. “Now just move.”  
  
Niall furrows his eyebrows.  
  
“What?”  
  
“Move.” Louis repeats, sitting up and pulling his hands out of his grip. “Gonna throw up, move!”  
  
But Niall should have listened to him sooner and now he needs to change his clothes.

 

 

 

“I’ve heard you threw up all over Niall.” Harry tells him, before he even gets upstairs.  
  
Louis is so mad at him.  
  
“Yes.” He says, as soon as Harry steps into the bedroom. “But I wish it was you, to be honest.” He adds, crossing his arms.  
  
“That’s not very nice.” Harry casually replies, taking his boots off.  
  
God, he’s so stupid. He hasn’t even asked him if he’s okay.  
  
“You know what else is not very nice?” Louis asks him, preparing his death glare and holding it until Harry turns around to look at him.  
  
“What?” Harry questions, shrugging a shoulder.  
  
So damn stupid.  
  
“Noticing that I don’t feel well and leaving me alone anyway!” Louis barks, throwing him the first thing he finds.  
  
Turns out it’s a balled up sock. Better luck next time.  
  
Harry frowns, taking the rest of his clothes off.  
  
“I had to go.” He says, getting closer despite Louis’ outraged expression. “But I’m here now.”  
  
Oh, he’s here now. How nice of him.  
  
“You can fuck off again, as far as I’m concerned.” Louis spits out, holding his gaze.  
  
Harry tilts his head, a smile starts stretching his lips slowly.  
  
“Is that what you really want?”  
  
And then he’s climbing on the bed, lying down beside him, wrapping a big hand around the back of Louis’ neck.  
  
Louis wishes it didn’t feel so good.  
  
“I’m mad at you.” He informs him.  
  
Harry nods.  
  
“That’s fine.”  
  
God, he is so fucking stupid Louis can’t even believe it.  
  
“Oh, it’s fine. So you don’t care?” He asks him, sticking his pointy elbow into his chest.  
  
Harry keeps touching him, though, pulls him closer, wraps his other hand around his back.  
  
“Need you to feel better.” He whispers, brushing his nose against his neck.  
  
Louis digs his nails into his arm, trying to hurt him at least a little bit.  
  
“Need you to relax and get some sleep, mh?” Harry whispers, not even reacting to Louis’ hand scratching at his skin, just holding him tighter.  
  
It does work and Louis does relax and he even starts falling asleep in Harry’s arms, drooling all over his chest and calling him stupid.  
  
Fuck, he’s so stupid.

 

 

 

“Yesterday you said you weren’t mad at me anymore!” Louis accuses him, resting his feet on the coffee table.  
  
“I am now!” Niall retorts. “Take your shoes off!”  
  
Louis scoffs.  
  
“You take them off.” He says, lifting one foot up. Niall doesn’t look very convinced.  
  
“Please?” Louis presses, with the cutest pout he has in his repertory.  
  
Works like a charm.  
  
“About the other day,” Louis starts, watching Niall as he carefully lays his shoes on the floor, even more carefully avoiding his gaze.  
  
Louis hesitates, worrying he's just going to do what he does best: make everything worse.  
  
However, he needs to fix this somehow.  
  
"I didn't mean to upset you. You usually get very curious, though." he tries, studying Niall's uncomfortable expression.  
  
"I thought you'd like to know what happened." he adds, shrugging.  
  
Niall finally stops what he's doing, and he wraps a blanket around Louis’ shoulders before sitting on the couch, not too close to him.  
  
"It's not you." he whispers, as his eyes dart away.  
  
Louis tilts his head, his hand settles on Niall's back.  
  
Niall takes a deep breath, letting his eyes find Louis'.  
  
They have never looked so big.  
  
"I get a bit embarrassed when it comes to-" he stops, trying to control his shaky voice.  
  
Louis nods.  
  
"I won't mention it again." Louis promises, rubbing Niall's back until he relaxes a bit.  
  
His cheeks flush, showing his disagreement.  
  
"Do the opposite." he states, suddenly looking determined. "The more I know, the less scary sex is going to be when..." he pauses, a shy smile on his lips.  
  
"When it finally happens to me."  
  
Louis loses control of his jaw, as his mouth drops open.  
  
"You're a virgin?!" he yells, leaning forward and letting the blanket fall on the floor.  
  
Niall picks it up with a sigh and he wraps it around his own shoulders this time, maybe hiding as much as he can from the situation.  
  
He nods, biting his lip in shame.  
  
Louis still can't seem to control his facial muscles. He can feel his jaw hurt with the stretch of his astonishment.  
  
In the end he manages to clear his throat and spit out the first thing that comes to his mind.  
  
"How old are you?"  
  
Niall chuckles at that, holding tight on the hem of the blanket, hands shaking a bit.  
  
"Twenty-two."  
  
Louis is younger than him. Who would have thought.  
  
His first sexual experience dates back to middle school and he took his first knot when he was sixteen and stupid and in heat and in love.  
  
His eyes start wandering over Niall's face.  
  
He's a pretty omega.  
  
Big blue eyes, pink lips, smooth skin, soft blond hair.  
  
How come an alpha has never managed to put his hands on that? How the hell did he get through every single heat?!  
  
He gasps, realizing he's just been staring at him without saying a word for minutes.  
  
He brushes a hand over his mouth, trying to get something better out of it this time.  
  
"Well, that's...impressive."  
  
Niall responds with an awkward laugh.  
  
"I mean," Louis tries again, putting a hand on Niall's shoulder. "These things are different for everyone, you know. When you find the right person, you just go with it."  
  
He knows he's just talking out of his ass to fill the torturing silence, and Niall knows it too 'cause he's frowning.  
  
Someone starts banging on the door and Louis mentally thanks Jesus for answering his prayers and putting an end to it.  
  
Niall lets Harry in and Louis insults Jesus, for fucking with him.  
  
The alpha is fuming.  
  
Louis scoffs, jumping up from the couch.  
  
"We'll talk later, Niall." he complains, snatching his blanket from his shoulders and following Harry outside.

 

 

 

“First you complain about being sick and being left alone.” Harry scolds him. “Then you sneak out of the house the second I get distracted?”  
  
Louis hasn't stopped insulting him for the last thirty minutes and Harry's just glad his rants are muffled by the covers he piled on him.  
  
"Lily said you need rest. So rest." the alpha declares, finally deciding to sit near him.  
  
Louis' head is the only thing peaking out of the bed, his eyes shooting fire at him.  
  
He lies on his side, still looking at him.  
  
"What does she know? It's my body." he argues.  
  
The alpha rolls his eyes.  
  
"She also said you need to drink a lot of water, to avoid dehydration." he informs him, crossing his arms.  
  
Louis knits his eyebrows, spitting out another intelligible curse word.  
  
Harry grabs the duvet, pulling it back a little to uncover his mouth.  
  
"What was that?" he prompts, with a forced smile on his face.  
  
Louis shows him his teeth, hissing.  
  
"Nothing." he decides, curling up into a fluffy, angry ball.  
  
"What else did doctor-know-it-all say?"  
  
Harry hums, thinking about it for a bit.  
  
"She told me to keep you warm, fed and calm."  
  
He stops, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"I am not very good at the calm part, yet."  
  
Louis shakes his head, squinting his blue eyes.  
  
Harry takes his shoes off and he lays his back against the headboard, stretching his arms.  
  
"She thinks you might lose interest in sex for a while." he casually adds.  
  
He smiles, noticing that Louis' cheeks have become a shade darker.  
  
Then he shrugs, freeing his hair from the girly scrunchie that he insists on wearing.  
  
"But what does she know, right?" he asks him after a while, tilting his head.  
  
Louis lets out an annoyed laugh.  
  
"Oh no, she's right about that!" he comments, eyes sparkling, cheeks still pink.  
  
Harry licks his lips.  
  
He knows he's lying. Louis' scent betrays him, tickling Harry's nostrils every time he makes the smallest movement.  
  
The alpha tries to hide it, secretly reveling in the sweetness of his omega's skin.  
  
"Good. God forbid we get some fun out of this mess." he teases, struggling to keep a serious expression.  
  
Louis smiles, hiding his face under the cover.  
  
"Get lost." he whispers, as his little hand makes its way out to flip him off.

 

 

 

The doctor said it.  
  
If the doctor said it, then it must be true.  
  
Ah, doctors!  
  
Can't live with them, can't live without 'em.  
  
The doctor said he might lose interest in sex, for a while.  
  
He might.  
  
He might not.  
  
He does not.  
  
The following days are a slow, relentless, unbearable torture.  
  
What does the doctor know, anyway.  
  
Who says she's a doctor, anyway.  
  
She does! Who else? Did anybody happen to see some evidence, supporting her claims?  
  
She said he might, might happen, might not, who knows.  
  
Louis knows.  
  
It does not happen, for as much as he waits and hopes and prays, that excruciating sensation in his guts never leaves his body.  
  
Not after one, not after two, not even after three days.  
  
Ugh, look at him.  
  
That big, stupid, barbaric alpha of his.  
  
Barking orders, granting smiles, monitoring everything and everyone, in his little, pathetic village where fun goes to die.  
  
Just look at him.  
  
Louis scoffs, forcing his head to turn to the other side, managing to do it. Failing in a matter of seconds.  
  
Would you look at that.  
  
That huge, dumb alpha of his, with his big arms and his broad chest and his misleading dimples, his assertive tone, his ridiculous hair flowing in the wind, looking like a low budget model, with his endless legs and his narrow hips, his sharp jaw and his predator eyes.  
  
Dimples out, making fun of him, almost convincing him he's too busy to spare him a proper glance.  
  
Louis grunts, digging his nails in his own thighs, looking away for three full seconds, feeling proud of himself for making it that far.  
  
Look at him, that bossy, cocky, arrogant prick, with his furrowed brow, his unacceptably tight jeans. Holding such a nice surprise.  
  
Fuck.  
  
Fuck, no, don't, don't look at him.  
  
Louis makes a mental note to slap his own face, jumping up and thinking of a place to hide.

 

 

 

You can't run from it.  
  
You can't hide from it.  
  
If it's not his eyes, constantly looking for him, always finding him, then it's his voice.  
  
If it's not his voice, making its way to his ears, whether he's talking to him or to another lucky bastard, then it's his scent.  
  
If it's not his scent, forcefully breaking into his senses, roughly pulling him back, pulling him down, it's his hands.  
  
Sleepy, slow, sinful hands.  
  
Grabbing his arm, squeezing his hip, brushing against his ribs.  
  
Louis just can't run from it.  
  
He can put a stop to it. He can move away, curl up, whimper as quietly as he can.  
  
But he can't make it last for long.  
  
He could accept, feel, indulge his need. Turning around, straddling him, grinding on him, letting go of that orgasm screaming, nestled low in his belly.  
  
But he can't push the idea past the back of his mind, letting it spill outside of his fantasies.  
  
It’s so scary, the way his skin stings, his chest heaves, his nerves become alert.  
  
Tempting, the way Harry's growl climb up his throat, demanding.  
  
Irresistible, his hands travelling on his back, flipping him.  
  
Louis moans, desperately rubbing his hard cock on the sheets, grinding down in a last attempt to make it happen.  
  
But he can't allow that.  
  
Teasing, Harry's finger tracing his spine, making him arch his back.  
  
"Don't. Touch. Me."  
  
Painful, the way Harry sighs, retreats, gets up.  
  
Leaves.

 

 

 

"So how does it feel?" Niall asks, ignoring the way his cheeks are burning. He wants to know. He goes through with it.  
  
"Does it hurt, at first? Does it feel good?"  
  
Louis sighs, his eyes closing for a moment.  
  
Hurts, a bit, at first, yeah.  
  
Hurts in a good way, that way that makes you forget about it, makes you chase the hurt even more.  
  
It feels good. Feels so good you could scream.  
  
"It depends on how wet you are." Louis mutters, fighting against the shiver crawling up his spine.  
  
Niall nods, face going up in flames.  
  
"Okay." he decides, nodding with more determination.  
  
"And what do you when-" he blurts out, stopping to slow down, make his questions comprehensible. "Can you do anything to make it easier?" he tries, pressing a hand to his forehead in sudden shame.  
  
Louis bites his lip.  
  
You can do a lot of things.  
  
You can spread your thighs, tilt your hips, smooth the way.  
  
Or you can close your legs, bend them, grip them tight, ignore the strain of your muscles, for the sake of getting more friction.  
  
You could just lie there, you could just lie there and take it.  
  
"You have to breathe, you have to relax." Louis instructs, absent-mindedly pinching his thighs, clinging to the conversation before his mind drags him away.  
  
"It comes natural." he whispers, his voice refusing to sound right. "You just know what to do."  
  
You can breathe through it, slowing down the waves, riding them a bit.  
  
You can stop breathing, shutting your body down so it just takes, takes, takes more in.  
  
You can catch a breath and do it all over again, letting your flesh crumble down and come undone, letting that alpha open you up like a juicy fruit.  
  
You can impact the pace, tightening your legs around him to ask him for less, for more time.  
  
You can lift them up, making your bodies clash harder.  
  
Niall's voice takes more than one try to bring him back.  
  
His hand on Louis' face is what really does the trick.  
  
"You don't look good."  
  
Louis shakes his head, he wipes the sweat off his face.  
  
"I feel sick." he apologizes, running away again.

 

 

 

Even that same night he feels sick.  
  
Sick of this, sick of Harry, sick of himself.  
  
His stomach twists painfully, punishing him for his stubbornness perhaps, forcing the bit of food he had out of his trembling body.  
  
He feels sick and tired, can't stand Harry's hand reassuringly pressed against his back, as he spits and chokes, gasping for air.  
  
Can't stand the ache in his body, when the alpha stops touching him.  
  
He can't tolerate how endless the night feels, even once his nausea finally takes pity on him, leaving him alone with his frustration.  
  
He only drifts off for a few minutes, jolting awake a dozen times, guts intertwining.  
  
"Leave." He spits out, struggling to tear the heavy covers away from their bodies.  
  
The alpha grunts in his sleep, shifting a bit.  
  
Louis takes a shaky breath, slaps his own face repeatedly, pulls at his own damp hair, forcing himself out of the hazy cloud around him.  
  
He sits up, sweat dripping down his back, mouth dry.  
  
He kicks Harry's legs, scratches his neck.  
  
The alpha snaps his eyes open.  
  
"Leave. Leave. Leave." Louis chants, wiggling out of his sweatpants with jerky movements.  
  
Harry groans, low and pleading.  
  
Louis can hear the way he inhales, sharply, sucking in his desire.  
  
"Leave." Louis begs, pinching hard on his nipples, arching his back, tearing another sound out of the alpha's throat.  
  
"I need-" he chokes out, swallowing dry. "Five minutes." he adds, gripping on his hard cock, hand shaking on his own flesh.  
  
"Leave. Pleeease!" he screams, shutting his eyes, curling his fingers around his shaft.  
  
"Leave me alone, don't touch me." he cries, as his hand starts frantically moving up and down, making it all worse for an endless moment.  
  
He bites down on the inside of his cheeks, shuddering.  
  
"Please?" He whines, feeling his belly burning up, threatening him.  
  
"I just need to-" he sobs, as his mouth falls open, his body bends forward, warm cum lands on his stomach, leaving him messy and tired.  
  
He hums, falling back against the pillows.  
  
He pants, rubbing both hands on his face and on his neck, skin sticky with sweat.  
  
The unbearable heat slowly fades, allowing him to come to his senses, open his eyes.  
  
He turns his head, he realizes Harry left.  
  
His voice pours into the room from behind the shut door, exhausted and broken.  
  
"Can I come back in, now?" he asks, scratching against the wood.  
  
Louis nods, even though Harry can't see that.  
  
He swallows again, licks his chapped lips to feel them again, make sure they still work.  
  
"Yeah." he croaks out, sinking his head into the pillow.  
  
By the time Harry presses him to his chest, heart furiously thumping, Louis has already passed out.

 

 

 

It happens again, the following night.  
  
Except this time Harry is not sleeping when Louis starts squirming in their bed.  
  
He's had that scent stuck in his nose for hours, he felt it get stronger and more inviting with every passing minute.  
  
His cock is going crazy. He's so hard he might scream, but he manages to resist his urges.  
  
It's not easy.  
  
Louis is lying on his side, his back to the alpha, his plump ass pushed towards him, calling for him.  
  
Harry just wants to tug his pants down and bury his cock inside of him, stuff him with his knot until he stops whining, knocking every last bit of air out of him.  
  
He hisses, noticing Louis' hands are sneaking under the t-shirt he's wearing, his arousal getting worse by the second.  
  
Harry reaches out, brushing his wet fringe back with his fingers, trying to give him some relief.  
  
Not the relief he's dying to give him but he hopes it's something.  
  
Louis lets out a breathy sound, slowly opening his eyes.  
  
" 'm hot." He chokes out, blinking repeatedly.  
  
Harry tears the covers away from him, suppressing a growl.  
  
Louis is barely breathing, small hands travelling under his clothes.  
  
"Louis." Harry warns.  
  
The omega whines.  
  
"Feels like I'm in heat." He cries, biting on his bottom lip.  
  
That sentence has Harry swearing, as he forces Louis' hands away from his skin.  
  
The omega gives him a shocked look.  
  
"Don't-"  
  
"I'm not gonna touch you." Harry interrupts him, voice so gravelly Louis whimpers.  
  
The alpha pulls him closer, laying his shaking body above his own, his back pressed to his chest.  
  
Louis arches into him, trying to free his wrists from the alpha's grip.  
  
Harry guides his hand back into his pants.  
  
"Touch yourself." He whispers in his ear.  
  
Louis whimpers, immediately obliging, molding his body into Harry's.  
  
Harry can hear it, the beautiful sound his pretty hand makes against his pretty cock, frantically stroking.  
  
He can barely feel Louis' weight against him, he holds him still with both his hands splayed on his soft hips.  
  
"You smell heavenly." He adds, sinking his teeth into his lip, trying to keep himself from saying anything else.  
  
He just can't.  
  
If he can't touch him, and fuck him and knot him, he's certainly going to tell him what's been on his mind for the past few days.  
  
Or at least a part of it.  
  
"Such a pretty omega, you are."  
  
Louis' breath catches in his throat, he plants his heels in the mattress.  
  
"One of the prettiest I've ever seen." Harry continues, and he's lying.  
  
As much as he tries to hide it from himself, he knows Louis is the most beautiful omega he's ever laid eyes on.  
  
He digs his fingertips deeper into his burning flesh, coaxing another moan out of him.  
  
"Everybody wants you." He chokes, trying to ignore how hard his cock is twitching, how intoxicating Louis smells.  
  
One of his hands starts moving up Louis' body, settling on his chest.  
  
His heart is beating so fast Harry gets worried for a second.  
  
"You're close, yeah?"  
  
Louis nods, he tries to talk but only desperate sounds come out.  
  
Harry brushes his teeth against his neck, barely resisting the urge to bite.  
  
"Come for me, then." He orders, purposefully keeping the tone of his voice low and assertive.  
  
Louis responds to that.  
  
His breathing slips further out of control, his hand moves faster up and down, his body gets extremely tense.  
  
"Gonna come."  
  
Harry growls this time, unable to hold it in any longer, and Louis yelps.  
  
"Gonna come." He repeats, his voice barely audible.  
  
Harry leaves a wet kiss on his neck, running his free hand up and down Louis' stomach, his skin burning hot under his touch.  
  
He understands Louis finally hit his orgasm when he feels his muscles contracting under his fingers, his body melting against his chest the following moment.  
  
"All better?" He asks, and it comes out a lot rougher than he meant to.  
  
Louis sighs.  
  
He climbs off of him, rolling onto his tummy, head sinking into his pillow.  
  
"Thank you." He mutters, as his eyes slip closed.  
  
Harry could fucking cry from how hard he is.  
  
Luckily Louis is already sleeping and he won't know Harry ran downstairs to rub one off on the couch.  
  
Some things are better left unsaid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A special thanks always goes to LeahNine, for being a friend when I was hoping for a beta. I got a lot more <3 <3 <3  
> Sorry if you don't like this chapter as much as the other ones * ^ * Hopefully you'll like what's coming <3
> 
> What about you guys? Did you enjoy it?


	21. A big deal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiii <3  
> I know this chapter is kinda short, but the next one is almost ready so you're going to see what happens next very soon!  
> Where are you guys? I miss hearing from you :(  
> Wish me a happy birthdaaaaay!!!  
> Also, if you want, check out my new story! It's called "Milkshake" and I love it * - *  
> But enjoy this chapter first! x
> 
>  
> 
>  

Some people need to talk things out.  
  
Some people tend to let go, let problems go away on their own.  
  
Most people do both of those things, according to the situation.  
  
Now, this is a situation that should not be discussed.  
  
It should just be left into the corner, collecting dust and being forgotten little by little.  
  
If only Harry could keep his mouth shut.  
  
"It fucking kills me." he mumbles, wearing his pants. "There's only so much I can take."  
  
Louis rolls his eyes.  
  
"I am your alpha, whether you like it or not." Harry insists, sounding more aggravated. "Your body is clearly trying to tell you something and you just won't listen."  
  
"Jesus, Harry!" Louis yells, ignoring Harry's annoyed expression. "If I listened to my damn body all the time I'd have a dozen kids at this point." he argues.  
  
Harry frowns.  
  
"Is it just your way of punishing me or something?" he spits out, squinting his green eyes.  
  
Louis is outraged.  
  
"Punishing you for what?!"  
  
The alpha shrugs.  
  
"Harry." Louis starts, convincing himself to get out of bed. "I am not punishing you. I just don't want to have sex with you." he explains, crossing his arms.  
  
Harry looks like he wants to punch the wall. Hopefully just the wall.  
  
"You are such a liar. You're dying to get fucked." he snarls, gritting his teeth.  
  
For someone who doesn't like being slapped in the face, Harry sure begs for it a lot.  
  
So Louis gives him what he's asking for.  
  
The alpha knew it would happen even before Louis lifted his hand.  
  
It's not as satisfying as Louis thought it would be, despite the red handprint appearing on Harry's cheek.  
  
"Apologize." Louis orders, stepping closer to him.  
  
Harry clenches his jaw. He reaches out slowly, moving Louis out of his way, and he leaves.

 

 

 

He has to come back at some point. Unless he decides to sleep in a cave or something.  
  
No, he must be on his way back already. It's just a matter of time. Louis still wants that apology, by the way.  
  
He hears noises downstairs while he's still rehearsing what he's going to tell Harry.  
  
He waits for him to get to their bedroom, before he starts.  
  
"I don't feel respected." He states.  
  
Harry won't even try to give him attention.  
  
Louis clears his throat, looking for the next thing to say. He had it all figured out, what the hell. He won't let Harry distract him.  
  
"The way you talk to me is offensive and abusive." he adds, and yes, that's his next line, it's all coming back to him now.  
  
Harry scoffs.  
  
"Offensive and abusive?!" he barks, kicking his boots into a corner.  
  
"You slapped me." Harry spells out. "Again."  
  
Oh, come on. He's not being fair. They both know he can barely feel it when Louis tries to hurt him.  
  
"So what. You deserved it." Louis replies, shrugging a shoulder. "You can't say that kind of shit and expect me not to hit you."  
  
Harry turns his back on him, taking the rest of his clothes off, but Louis can feel the tension building up inside of him.  
  
He's going to explode any second.  
  
"If there's something you want to say I'm all ears." Louis prompts, sitting on the edge of the bed.  
  
Harry breathes in.  
  
"I didn't mean to offend you." He hisses, forcing himself to keep calm. "But I still believe you're being stubborn and unreasonable." he adds, as his voice gets deeper.  
  
Does it really make him this mad not being able to fuck him?  
  
Louis is not sure if he's supposed to feel offended or flattered.  
  
"Harry, the fact I can't control my hormones doesn't give you the right to fuck me whenever you like."  
  
The alpha growls, low and constant, unable to tame it any longer.  
  
"I feel you, Louis. I feel what you feel." He states, staring into his eyes for a long moment.  
  
Louis swallows dry.  
  
He wants to talk back but he's not sure what Harry's implying yet.  
  
"I can tell when you want me. My body responds to that, as you may have noticed. I don't understand why you would do this to yourself." He stops to pinch the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. "And to me." he adds, looking at Louis again.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Louis snaps, jumping up from the bed. "Forgive me for not being the good little omega you need me to be! Sorry for refusing to give in to my body like Im supposed to be, Harry. And I am also sorry if your cock is feeling neglected, it's all my fault." he rambles, walking back and forth until Harry gets in his way, forcing him to stop. Louis looks up at him, making an effort to catch his breath. The alpha walks him into a corner, staring back at him every step of the way.  
  
Louis' back hits the wall as Harry brings both his arms up, hands flat against the hard surface.  
  
Louis can taste his scent on his tongue, standing close to him this way.  
  
His smell often leaves him somewhat dizzy.  
  
"I just-" he whispers, swallowing again to get his vocal chords working. Harry's eyes feel like fire on his skin but Louis can't seem to stop looking at him.  
  
"Sometimes it feels like a big deal." he admits, more to himself than to his alpha. "Letting someone inside." he clarifies, tilting his head to the side.  
  
Harry brushes his nose against his exposed neck, deeply breathing him in.  
  
"Okay." he just says.  
  
Louis hopes he gets it.

 

 

 

Harry does not get it.  
  
He does not get him.  
  
Louis knows he can be a pain the ass sometimes.  
  
Most times.  
  
But Harry is supposed to try harder than this, he should find a way to make things work, right?  
  
There are so many options that would make that possible but he can't seem to accept any of them.  
  
He won't take Louis hunting, he won't let him into the woods on his own, he won't let him mess around with Zayn. He's basically putting all of his energy into making Louis' life a miserable list of boring days that all look the same.  
  
Louis won't take that, he can't.  
  
He can't just pretend he's fine with the way things work in Harry's village, with the way every single omega never dares asking for more than their sad routine.  
  
It must be some kind of brain washing they went through, 'cause they can't possibly be happy with just this.  
  
It's beyond him.  
  
It never gets exciting. No one is ever tense or scared or hyped. Nothing new ever happens and everyone seems to go along with it, the omegas with their chores, the betas with their tasks and the alpha with their orders to follow.  
  
Louis is kind of considering giving Nick another chance, realizing he's the only person he's ever witnessed challenging Harry. Except himself, of course.  
  
But Nick still acts like an idiot and Louis can't stand him, so he's back to square one.  
  
Feeling trapped and useless.  
  
Harry does not get it.  
  
He gets mad as soon as Louis tries suggesting something different.  
  
"Why won't you even let me try? I will not die or cause anyone's death while holding a gun. I know how to use a gun, Harry."  
  
I even held you at gun point, remember?  
  
No, saying that won't help.  
  
"Because," Harry starts, tying his hair into a bun. "It is not safe. I won't take you hunting and fighting about this once a week is not going to change my mind."  
  
Louis hates him.  
  
"So what do I do? I just wait here, staring at the wall until it gets dark and it's time to go to bed? Wow, being the leader's omega is really paying off."  
  
Harry bites his bottom lip at that. Louis must have pushed the right button.  
  
The alpha doesn't say anything though, and that makes Louis more nervous, it makes him want to push a bit harder.  
  
"A good leader has to set an example. Making your omega happy is part of it. Listening to your omega, understanding what he needs-"  
  
"Why should I do any of that when you haven't shown me a tiny bit of respect so far?"  
  
Harry's finally looking back at him. He looks angry and this is inevitably turning into a fight again.  
  
Oh well.  
  
"Respect is something you earn, Harry!" Louis yells at him. "I'm only going to respect you once you stop trying to submit me. You're all I never wanted in a mate."  
  
He says it before he can stop himself and it's kind of what he meant, but not really.  
  
That doesn't sound good.  
  
Harry is smiling and that doesn't look good.  
  
It looks bitter.  
  
"So are you." he simply replies.  
  
Then he just leaves, slamming the door of the cabin.  
  
Louis wishes that didn't hurt. But it did.  
  
It really fucking did.

 

 

 

They live together.  
  
That's fucked up.  
  
Louis can't get any space after they fight. Harry storms out but he eventually comes back.  
  
They have to be in the same room, sleep in the same bed, day after day.  
  
Louis won't talk to him. Not because he's mad, he stopped being mad after two days, when he threw Harry's favorite shirt into the river. Then he got sad, 'cause green is a good color on him.  
  
He won't talk to him because every time they talk they end up saying hurtful shit and Louis wants it to stop for a while.  
  
Harry won't talk to him either.  
  
Because he is still mad, he is livid.  
  
Louis tries to touch him while falling asleep and he just moves away from him. He's right there, big and warm and smelling amazing, and Louis can't touch him.  
  
They probably just need time.  
  
Louis definitely needs a distraction.

 

 

 

Only one thing distracts him.  
  
He finds out one day, while Niall is explaining to him about all the different sounds his cats used to make and how they all had a different meaning.  
  
Louis just nods and smiles, counting seconds to keep himself busy until Niall is done talking.  
  
That's when "I had a cat." Liam interrupts him, sitting next to Louis.  
  
Niall's story is suddenly over and Niall is completely speechless.  
  
Louis finally realizes it.  
  
He can't keep a smug smile from appearing on his face, looking at Niall stutter an apology and clumsily getting up to flee the scene.  
  
Now this is interesting.  
  
"Did I say something wrong?" Liam asks him, watching the other omega rush back to his cabin.  
  
Louis shakes his head.  
  
"No, Liam." he tells him. "Your stupid cat suddenly made the situation very clear."

 

 

 

He can't tell Niall, 'cause the last time he pushed him a bit they ended up not speaking to each other.  
  
He can't tell Liam, 'cause he would get self conscious and probably start avoiding Niall not to embarrass him.  
  
Zayn shushed him as soon as he tried speaking, an outraged expression on his face as he showed him the joint in his hand.  
  
"Busy." he just said.  
  
Louis is still wondering where the hell Zayn found drugs, but he has something else to focus on.  
  
So, all things considered, he decides to tell Harry.  
  
Maybe it'll get a dozen words out of him, for a change.  
  
But he doesn't make it that far.  
  
Louis tells him "I think Niall has got a little crush on Liam" and Harry's response is quick and direct, half a dozen words.  
  
"I will cut his dick off."  
  
Louis rolls his eyes, struggling to keep up with the alpha pacing through the trees.  
  
"He doesn't even know yet." he informs him, trying to grasp his attention. "Maybe I could arrange a little something and see if there's a spark there."  
  
That makes Harry stop, it makes him turn around, it makes him furious.  
  
"You won't do that." he orders.  
  
Louis scoffs.  
  
This again? Unbelievable.  
  
"Why!" he barks, stepping closer to him despite Harry's threatening stance. "Why can't you just stop being a control freak for a second?"  
  
Harry subtly bares his teeth, long enough for Louis to take the hint.  
  
"Liam is into you. I won't let you play with Niall's feelings just to pass the time."  
  
Louis swallows hard.  
  
Well, at least Harry managed to find the energy to put together a whole sentence for him this time.  
  
"He is not." Louis retorts, lowering his voice. "It's not like that at all."  
  
Harry laughs at him.  
  
When he speaks again, he is dead serious, green eyes fixed on Louis' face.  
  
"I've seen the way he looks at you."  
  
Louis presses his lips together, reminding himself that yelling at Harry never seems to give any good results.  
  
That much he learned.  
  
"Just because you love someone it doesn't mean you're in love with them." he comments, voice low enough to keep Harry from snapping.  
  
He's still angry though, still huge, and dominant and aggravated and fucking stubborn.  
  
"Leave Niall alone." he spells out.  
  
Louis raises his eyebrows, he raises his hands up.  
  
"I will." He lies.

 

 

 

Harry takes out his knife to quickly make a incision on the tree in front of him.  
  
Nick tries to pull a prank on him, but Harry could tell he was approaching five minutes ago. Just like he did with Louis.  
  
Louis' scent is easy to spot, though. It's sweet and fresh and unmistakable.  
  
"If you hit me with that branch, I promise I'll shove it up your arse." he mutters, moving on to the next tree.  
  
He hears Nick grunt, throw the brunch on the ground, move quickly to catch up with him.  
  
"When are we going to start cutting the trees down?" he asks, snatching the knife out of Harry's hand. "Are you done playing little boy scout?"  
  
Harry sighs. Apparently, coming really close to dying is not enough to make Nick act like a normal person.  
  
He is considering choking him again, while Nick carves their initials on the tree Harry's just marked, with a heart around them and everything.  
  
"Can't wait to chop that one off." Harry mumbles, heading back to the village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't you just hate them?  
> Don't you wanna punch them?  
> 'cause I do >_<  
> <3 <3 <3
> 
>  
> 
>  


	22. Frustration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Easter everybody! <3  
> Enjoy <3
> 
>  
> 
>  

"You really wanna discuss this while I'm high?" Zayn slurs, letting Harry in and closing the door behind him.  
  
The alpha nods.  
  
"How's he doing?" he mutters, refusing the joint Zayn shoves in his face.  
  
Zayn shrugs.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean how is he doing? You talk to him, don't you." Harry blurts out, already losing his temper.  
  
The beta arches his eyebrows, he coughs in his clenched fist for what feels like twenty minutes.  
  
"Yeah, but we don't talk about personal shit. We just chat, you know. Music, movies, stuff like that."  
  
Harry bites hard on the inside of his cheek, his gaze turning into a threatening one.  
  
"All of that stuff doesn't even exist anymore." he argues, brushing a hand through his hair.  
  
"It does up here." Zayn retorts, tapping a finger on his head. "And you fucking live with him, Harry. You're supposed to know how he's doing without my help." he adds, with his usual annoying smirk.  
  
Harry laughs, but it sounds more like the start of a growl.  
  
"He doesn't talk to me." he explains.  
  
The beta shrugs again, sinking into the couch.  
  
"Well, you should talk to him then. Ask him. It's not that hard."  
  
Harry sighs.  
  
Not that hard, huh?  
  
"Come here. I'll show you." he offers, motioning towards the door.  
  
Zayn just looks at him.  
  
"Get up." Harry orders, leaning against the door. "I'll fucking show you."  
  
The beta finally listens to him, pushing himself off the couch and following behind.  
  
They find Louis shortly after, lying in the sun, his arms folded under his head, a pair of sunglasses shielding his eyes.  
  
"Louis." Harry calls him, voice already heavy with tension.  
  
The omega sits up, stretching his legs out, yawning.  
  
"I'm free for a bit. Wanna take a walk?" Harry proposes, quickly glancing at Zayn to catch his attention.  
  
Louis laughs, loud and uncaring, clearly nervous.  
  
"So what if you're free. I'm busy, can't you see that?" he says, lying down again. "Zayn can take a walk with you. It's gonna be fun, judging from how high he looks."  
  
The beta chuckles.  
  
"I could barely make it this far, to be honest." he garbles, rubbing his eyes. "Come on, Lou. Can you just watch him for once?"  
  
That has Louis laughing, for real this time.  
  
Harry never gets to make him laugh like that.  
  
He shifts on his feet, suddenly feeling to uncomfortable to keep his mouth shut.  
  
"Get up, then. Let's go."  
  
Louis takes off his sunglasses, propping himself on his elbow.  
  
Zayn sighs.  
  
"Excuse me?" The omega spells out, crossing his legs. "Why should I?"  
  
Harry points at him, giving Zayn a satisfied look.  
  
"See?" he asks.  
  
The beta shakes his head.  
  
"You're terrible at this, I see that." he replies, turning his back on them.  
  
They both watch Zayn walk away for a bit, stubbornly keeping quiet.  
  
"Why are you so difficult all the time?" Harry mumbles in the end, looking at him.  
  
Louis throws the sunglasses at him.  
  
"Why are you so damn stupid all the time?" he yells, finally getting up.  
  
Harry furrows his eyebrows.  
  
"Why can't you stop insulting me for a minute?"  
  
Louis scoffs.  
  
"Umh...'cause you're an asshole?"  
  
"You're the one who's acting like a dick." Harry replies, his voice so calm Louis could slap him any second.  
  
He doesn't though, he just stares at him.  
  
Then he smiles, for some reason, looking down at his feet.  
  
"You really are bad at this." he says, dragging his eyes on Harry's face again.  
  
The alpha shrugs.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about. I just asked you to go for a walk."  
  
"No, you didn't!" Louis immediately shoots back. "You expected me to go for a walk. It's different!"  
  
"What the hell are you talking about? Can't you just shut up for once and say yes?"  
  
Louis squints his eyes.  
  
"This. This is what I'm talking about." he hisses.  
  
Harry grabs his arm then, forcing him down until his butt touches the ground.  
  
"Stay here, then." he spits out. "I won't bother you anymore." 

 

 

 

"You need to learn how to talk to me!"  
  
Louis' voice is loud. He's the loudest person Harry has ever come across.  
  
He grunts, shifting on the bed until he's facing the wall and Louis is behind him.  
  
"Said Louis, yelling at me." he croaks out.  
  
He can feel him kick his shoes off, can feel the mattress slightly bending under his weight.  
  
"I'm not yelling." The omega whispers. "And you're still acting like an asshole."  
  
Harry can't help but chuckle.  
  
"Did you come here to tell me that? I heard you the first time."  
  
He turns around, laughing again when he meets Louis' outraged expression.  
  
Then he opens his arms.  
  
"Come." he says softly.  
  
Louis presses his lips into a thin line, hesitating.  
  
Cuddling is not what he was aiming for. It does sound like a nice idea though.  
  
"What are you doing? You wanna hold me now?" he blurts out, stepping down the bed.  
  
Harry keeps his arms open, frowning.  
  
"I always wanna hold you. Courtesy of your little scheme." he retorts, cocking an eyebrow.  
  
Louis feels his cheeks burning. He swallows thick, slowly climbing on the bed again.  
  
Harry pulls him into his arms before he can even try and push him away, pressing him to his chest.  
  
Fuck, he smells good.  
  
Louis inhales deeply, as his body instantly starts relaxing.  
  
"So is this what we do?" he mutters after a minute, fighting against his desire to just fall asleep. "We fight and then we either fuck or we nap together until we forget why we were mad." he complains, forcing his eyes open. He tilts his head up, finding Harry's eyes already fixed on him.  
  
He looks just as helpless as he feels.  
  
"Maybe if you stopped snapping at me." he says, keeping him still when he tries to hit him.  
  
"I would, if you weren't so demanding all the time."  
  
He wiggles until Harry lets go of his wrists, managing to at least kick him in the shin.  
  
"I am not demanding, Louis. I am just an alpha and that seems to be enough for you to hate me."  
  
His voice is deep, thick with sleep and something else Louis can't put his finger on.  
  
"I don't hate you." he murmurs, laying his head on Harry's chest. "I just can't stand you most of the time."  
  
His head starts bobbing with Harry's laughter after that, and he can't see what's so funny about it.  
  
Harry holds him tight for a moment, loosening his grip with a sigh.  
  
"What is it that you can't stand?" he asks after a minute, shaking Louis out of what felt like dreaming.  
  
"Why." the omega groans. "You want to change for me?" he teases, only now realizing their legs are intertwined.  
  
"Don't flatter yourself." Harry warns him, brushing his teeth against his ear.  
  
Louis shudders, sticking his elbow in Harry's stomach.  
  
"I hate it when you tell me what to do." he informs him, in the middle of a yawn.  
  
Harry moves him away from his body so he can look into his eyes.  
  
"I never tell you what to do. Or maybe you're talking about the fact I won't let you wander around the forest with a flamethrower and arrange marriages nobody asked for."  
  
Louis shrugs.  
  
"Yeah, something like that."  
  
His voice got softer, sleepy.  
  
"I hate that you never take me with you." he adds, still looking into his eyes. Harry seems to hesitate.  
  
"I can't take you with me. 's dangerous, y' know that." he slurs, blinking slowly.  
  
"I can take care of myself." Louis argues, giving him another small kick. He's not sure Harry even felt it.  
  
"I know that. It's just...Now I have to take care of you." He's saying, as his eyes fall closed.  
  
Louis would gasp, if he could remember how to control his lungs.  
  
"Do you want to take care of me?" he whispers, half hoping Harry won't hear it.  
  
The alpha keeps his eyes closed as he nods slowly.  
  
"Of course I do. You're mine, right?"  
  
Louis swallows hard, keeping his eyes fixed on Harry's face, wondering if he's even awake at this point.  
  
He brushes his nose against his jaw, quickly catching his scent.  
  
"I'm not yours." he hisses, carefully biting on the sharp bone, not really with the intent of hurting him. Just a small warning.  
  
Harry sighs, he laughs a little but he doesn't open his eyes.  
  
He lowers his head instead, blindly looking for Louis' bond mark and sucking hard on it once he finds it.  
  
"Mine." he mutters against his flushed skin.  
  
Louis' almost sure he moaned but he doesn't have time to worry about it now.  
  
Harry presses their foreheads together.  
  
"Not yours." Louis snarls, pulling on his curls. "Just your omega. Not yours, though. No." he rambles.  
  
Harry hums, but there's a dumb smile lingering on his lips.  
  
"Hush, now." He murmurs on his lips.  
  
Louis sinks his teeth into his cheek, for real this time, and he doesn't stop until Harry winces.  
  
Nobody shushes him and Harry should learn that as soon as possible, before it gets out of hand.  
  
He feels guilty about hurting him though, so he finds himself lapping at the reddened skin, kissing it better.  
  
Harry's sleeping anyway.

 

 

 

Okay, so they took a nap together.  
  
Good, that's good.  
  
It sure has a calming effect on the both of them.  
  
It doesn't matter than Louis woke up to the sound of the front door closing and it doesn't matter that Harry stopped talking to him again that same night.  
  
It doesn't matter that he didn't touch him during the night and he didn't say goodbye before leaving at dawn.  
  
It doesn't matter at all.


	23. Pretence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys <3  
> Here's the next chapter! <3
> 
>  
> 
>  

"He just doesn't know what he wants, that's the point! He acts like he wants us to get along and then he remembers that he hates me or something and he goes back to ignoring me!"  
  
Zayn gives him a skeptical look.  
  
"Why, do you know what you want?" he asks him, loading his gun.  
  
Louis crosses his arms on his chest.  
  
"No." he admits. "But I'd rather fight him every single day than pretend he doesn't exist!"  
  
The beta mutters something, probably directed to his bike. Louis waits for him to bring his eyes back on his face before he speaks again.  
  
"Yesterday he said he wants to take care of me. This morning he left without saying a word." he tells him, throwing both hands up. "He's impossible."  
  
Zayn smiles.  
  
"You want my advice?" he proposes, wearing his leather jacket.  
  
Louis scoffs.  
  
"Of course I do, Zayn. Why do you think I'm telling you this shit? Solve it, come on." Louis presses, leaning against a tree.  
  
The beta checks his pack of cigarettes for a minute, counting how many are left, like Louis' nerves can take shit like this.  
  
"If I were you," he starts, putting the pack back into his pocket. "I'd act like nothing is going on. Trick him into thinking everything's fine until, you know, everything is actually fine. It could work."  
  
Louis rolls his eyes.  
  
"That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard." he replies, lifting Zayn's crash helmet from the ground and handing it to him.  
  
"Just leave."  
  
The beta wears his gloves, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"That's for you." he casually points out. "Put it on, you're coming with me."  
  
Now that's good idea.

 

 

 

"When you take someone for a ride on your bike," Louis barks, wiping the layer of sweat forming on his forehead. "You take them on a fucking adventure, Zayn, not this."  
  
The beta chuckles.  
  
"This is what you get today. Hurry up now, we have to go back before Harry does. My head is at stake here."  
  
Fucking Zayn.  
  
Louis should have known that there was a catch.  
  
And as it turns out, the catch is changing the sheets on a bed in the middle of a room that's in the middle of a house that's in the middle of the forest. Now what the fuck is that.  
  
"Never again." he grunts, throwing the pillows back on the bed. "I don't do this shit in my house, I don't see why I should do it here." he complains, letting Zayn do most of the job anyway.  
  
The beta laughs. "You make Harry change the bed?"  
  
"Of course Harry changes the bed. He also folds my clothes, cleans the floors and brings me food all the time." he adds with a little proud smirk.  
  
"And you still talk shit about him all the time." Zayn scolds him, leaving the room.  
  
Louis follows him outside.  
  
"He might be a good housewife!" he snarls. "But he is a shitty alpha!"  
  
The beta shakes his head.  
  
"What does a good alpha do, Louis?"  
  
Louis flinches, looking around to retrieve his crash helmet and buy some time.  
  
What does a good alpha do.  
  
"For starters, a good alpha doesn't ignore his omega. A good alpha doesn't leave his omega alone all day, that's what. A good alpha involves his omega in his life."  
  
Zayn hums, forcing the crumpled sheets they took off the bed into his backpack.  
  
"And what does a good omega do, Louis?"  
  
Fucking Zayn and his fucking questions.  
  
"I don't know, but I'm sure a good beta doesn't kidnap his leader's mate to take him into the woods. I could get badly hurt, you know?" He reminds him, gesturing to the bike. "If I were you-"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, get on the damn bike, Lou."

 

 

 

Niall hands him a cup of tea and Louis is still asking himself why it took months to find out they have it.  
  
"I love you." he tells him, raising the warm cup up to his face, letting the familiar smell comfort him.  
  
"I love you, Niall." he repeats, taking the first delightful sip.  
  
He still can't believe tea is back in his life. He'll never give it for granted again.  
  
"One cup, Lou. Just once a day." Niall reminds him. "Don't forget you are pregnant. Caffeine is bad for the baby."  
  
Why is he already taking this away from him?  
  
Louis hands him the empty cup.  
  
"Let's make that two and we have a deal."  
  
Niall frowns at him.  
  
"One cup a day. Period."  
  
So Niall is in the club now. The let's ruin Louis' life one rule at the time - club. Harry is the founding member.  
  
"I broke the rules today." he informs him, kicking his shoes into a corner and resting his feet on the coffee table.  
  
Niall is still frowning.  
  
"What did you do?"  
  
Louis wiggles his eyebrows.  
  
"I made a bed, Niall." he spells out, folding his arms behind his head. "Not just a simple bed, though." he says, adding a bit more suspense just for the fun of it.  
  
Niall shakes his head, finally granting him a smile.  
  
"That was for me, actually." he reveals, sitting next to him.  
  
Louis sits back up, waiting for him to explain.  
  
Niall is blushing, for a change.  
  
"For when I go into heat. I leave the village for a couple days."  
  
"Oh." Louis replies, munching on his finger nails.  
  
"That sucks." He adds, standing up to retrieve his shoes.  
  
"I know." Niall mewls, drawing up his legs and curling up. "Most omegas have a heat buddy."  
  
Louis laughs, rubbing a hand through his blonde hair.  
  
"A fuck buddy, Niall." he corrects, dragging his hand down to his burning cheek.  
  
Niall shrugs.  
  
"Get one, then." Louis suggests, smacking a kiss on his forehead.  
  
Niall lets out an awkward laugh.  
  
"You say it like it's easy."  
  
Well, it is, really.  
  
Louis lets go of the topic, though. He puts his shoes back on, he gives Niall another kiss and he leaves.

 

 

 

Now, what was that idea Zayn pushed into his head, the one about acting like everything's fine?  
  
How do you make that happen?  
  
Should he just give Harry a pet name, kiss him on the lips when he leaves and when he's back, like they're an actual couple?  
  
Not a chance in hell.  
  
The alpha is still staring at him, while taking his pants off.  
  
Why is he staring?  
  
Oh, right, because he asked Louis a question.  
  
What was the question again?  
  
"What was the question again?" Louis asks, sitting on the edge of their bed.  
  
Harry furrows his eyebrows.  
  
"I asked you if you saw my blue T-shirt."  
  
Oh, that.  
  
The one Louis hid under the couch cushions.  
  
The one he smells when he gets all needy and all...omega.  
  
"No, sorry." he lies, returning Harry's stare.  
  
Now, back to that thing.  
  
"How was your day?" Louis asks, rolling his eyes at himself.  
  
He can't believe he's giving it a go.  
  
"Fine." Harry says shrugging.  
  
Well, it doesn't work. Zayn's advice is useless so far.  
  
"I've heard Niall goes meditating on a mountain when his heat kicks in." He tries again, forcing himself to look away as Harry changes his briefs.  
  
He can't get distracted by his cock, now. He's in the middle of a mission.  
  
"I take him to a house in the woods, actually." Harry clarifies, like Louis doesn't know.  
  
Louis isn't supposed to know, now that he thinks about it.  
  
"Yeah? Isn't it dangerous to just leave him there?" he wonders, taking his clothes off only after Harry is under the covers.  
  
The alpha doesn't put much effort into not looking at him. Louis could say it makes him uncomfortable, but it would be a lie.  
  
He loves it.  
  
That's why he takes a lifetime to put his sweats on.  
  
He loves getting Harry all flustered.  
  
"I check on him." The alpha explains, after he finally remembers to say something.  
  
Louis smiles.  
  
"Such a good friend, you are." he mocks, climbing into bed.  
  
Harry gets tense when Louis forces his arms open, but he doesn't care. Everything is fine between them, isn't it.  
  
He lays on his chest, looking up at him.  
  
Harry takes a minute to close his arms around him, but he gets it in the end.  
  
"Are your hormones acting up again?" he asks him after a moment of what Louis stupidly thought was comfortable silence.  
  
Louis scoffs.  
  
"My hormones are doing great." he retorts.  
  
Harry is still not convinced.  
  
"You don't like it when I touch you." he points out.  
  
Louis sighs on his chest, fidgeting with Harry's cross necklace for a while.  
  
"Not always." he mutters, shifting in his arms.  
  
The alpha just looks more confused.  
  
"And how I am supposed to know when it's okay for me to touch you?" he questions, keeping his hands still on Louis' back.  
  
Louis rolls his eyes again.  
  
"It's okay for you to touch me now, Harry. So shut up." he snarls, placing both hands on his chest.  
  
Harry raises his eyebrows.  
  
"Touch me." Louis repeats, pressing their bodies together. "I won't bite."  
  
Well, not if Harry doesn't get on his nerves.  
  
He stops thinking about that when he feels his hands reacting, slowly travelling up and down his sides.  
  
"Good boy." he encourages, letting his eyes slip closed.  
  
Harry grunts.  
  
"You don't get to call me a good boy." he protests, lightly squeezing his hips.  
  
Louis sinks his teeth into Harry's collarbone in response, looking up at him angrily.  
  
"Don't get grumpy, I don't like that." He reprimands him. "That's bad, bad boy."  
  
Harry has never looked so confused. Louis can't blame him. He has no idea what the fuck he's doing, after all.  
  
He knows Harry's hands feel nice, though, all big and warm and...and he hopes Harry can't smell how horny he's making him.  
  
"Goodnight." he whispers, tilting his head up to peck him on the mouth.  
  
The last thing he remembers, before falling asleep, is Harry's shocked face.  
  
Well, sooner or later he'll get used to this.  
  
Everything's just fine.

 

 

 

Niall's heat starts two days later, while Louis is helping him hang a shitload of clothes out to dry.  
  
Niall is talking and laughing and being his usual cheerful self, until he drops a sock on the ground and he bends forward.  
  
It doesn't take Louis long to realize what is going on, with the way Niall starts sweating and panicking.  
  
So they call Harry and Harry comes running and a minute later they're disappearing behind the thick layer of trees, and Louis is left alone in the middle of a field, with a shitload of clothes to hang out to dry.  
  
Isn't that just lovely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest this fanfiction is turning into something I can't control anymore.  
> It's definitely too long and, even though I absolutely love it like it's my child, I need to get a fucking grip.  
> Do you guys still like it?  
> I feel like I should wrap it up.  
> I even considered starting it all over again and turning it into a one shot but that would be so hard.  
> I don't know.  
> What do you say?  
> I am kinda freaking out >_<  
> Bye <3


	24. Jealousy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiii <3  
> Let's try some jealousy, what do you think u_u  
> Enjoy <3
> 
>  
> 
>  

Harry comes back in the evening, all grumpy and agitated and dead tired.  
  
Louis convinces him to abandon the couch after more than a try but he finally manages to undress him and put him into bed.  
  
He feels uneasy, can't stop staring at him and thinking about punching him in the head basically.  
  
But he breathes though it, he gets into bed.  
  
Harry's already half asleep, he can barely keep his eyes open.  
  
So Louis wishes him a goodnight with a quick kiss on his lips, turning around to deal with his nerves on his own.  
  
Harry starts snoring shortly after, and it's not even that loud but Louis could slit his fucking throat open and let him bleed to death.  
  
He shifts again and again, kicking the covers away and stealing Harry's pillow from underneath his head.  
  
The alpha doesn't even crack an eye open, doesn't stop snoring for a second.  
  
Louis punches him on the head.  
  
It sure works. Harry stops snoring.  
  
He starts growling but he stops snoring.  
  
"It's like sleeping next to a damn chainsaw, Harry." Louis calmly explains, laying back against the pillows. "I need to rest too."  
  
Harry sits up.  
  
Louis won't look him in the eyes, but it's pretty clear that he didn't appreciate being hit while he was sleeping.  
  
"Gonna sleep on the couch." Harry tells him, and just like that he's leaving.  
  
Now Louis needs to pick between two options.  
  
He could let Harry go, have the bed to himself, try to get some sleep.  
  
Or.  
  
"You're not sleeping on the couch!" he shrieks, kneeling on the bed. "You bring your ass back here in bed with me."  
  
Harry tilts his head.  
  
"Oh, am I? Are you sure?"  
  
Louis swallows.  
  
"You've been away all day." he accuses him, throwing both pillows in his face.  
  
"You hit me in the head while I was asleep!" Harry yells right back at him.  
  
Well, he's right about that.  
  
And Louis would do it again, given the chance.  
  
He crosses his arms, shrugging.  
  
"You wouldn't stop snoring." he justifies himself.  
  
Harry still looks pissed.  
  
"Louis." he says, and it sounds like a curse word. "Wanna tell me what's really going on?"  
  
Louis squints his eyes at him, biting on his lip.  
  
"Come to bed." he orders. "And try not to sound like a dying whale."

 

 

 

Zayn won't stop giving him the stink eye.  
  
He shouldn't have told him.  
  
"Why don't you try and get some rest next to that." he spits out.  
  
Zayn sighs.  
  
"Be my fucking guest." Louis insists.  
  
Zayn sighs again.  
  
Then he gets up and he points to a spot behind Louis.  
  
"Your alpha's back." he tells him. "Why don't you go and make sure he smells like you."  
  
Louis tries to kick him, but he's already too far away.  
  
"You are not as smart-" he shouts, trying to get up and slipping on the grass.  
  
His ass hits the ground pretty hard, making Zayn think he has the right to laugh at him.  
  
"As you like to believe!" Louis continues, like that didn't just happen and his butt cheeks aren't stinging. "That is not the point, Zayn. Zayn! You hear me?"  
  
But Zayn doesn't hear him, 'cause he's too far away.

 

 

 

"Niall's coming back tomorrow, right?" Louis asks him, as Harry digs his teeth into a barely cooked piece of meat.  
  
"It depends." Harry garbles between bites.  
  
"Are you that hungry? That thing is still breathing, Harry."  
  
Harry frowns, cleaning his mouth with the back of his hand.  
  
"I like it this way." he argues.  
  
Louis shrugs.  
  
That's disgusting.  
  
Harry's disgusting.  
  
"Stop saying I'm disgusting, I can hear you." The alpha tells him, throwing the bone into the trash.  
  
Louis quickly walks to the door, shoving himself in front of it.  
  
"Where are you going now?!" he snaps.  
  
"I need to wash." Harry replies, with an annoyed expression Louis doesn't like one bit.  
  
Harry is still smeared with the juices from that poor animal though, and he's sweaty and...wait a second.  
  
"If something happened you'd tell me, right?" He blurts out, as his arms dart forward to pull him closer, smell his neck.  
  
Harry gently pushes him away.  
  
"Nothing happened." he states, staring seriously into Louis' eyes.  
  
Louis doesn't really believe him.  
  
"Go wash, then." he whispers, getting out of his way. "I'll wait here." 

 

 

 

He doesn't actually wait there.  
  
He waits in the bedroom, splayed on the bed, biting on his nails until his thumb starts bleeding.  
  
Harry's back the moment he tastes metal on the tip of his tongue. Like a bad omen.  
  
He slowly makes his way to the bedroom, dragging his feet across the first floor, stomping them on the stairs, coming to a stop at the edge of the bed.  
  
His hair is still damp and messy but he looks clean, inviting. Definitely not disgusting.  
  
Louis crawls up to him before he can stop himself, dragging his hands across Harry's chest, looking up at him with blue, angry eyes.  
  
The alpha smiles.  
  
"You're cute when you're frustrated." he murmurs, with that irritating hoarse voice of his.  
  
Louis finds his nipple trough the sheer fabric of the shirt he's wearing, twisting it just for a moment before Harry grabs his hand.  
  
"Behave." he warns him, ducking his head to smell the top of his head.  
  
Louis pulls back, keeping his free hand still on Harry's chest. His heart is staring to pump faster.  
  
"You behave." he hisses, struggling until Harry lets go of him.  
  
The alpha watches him pout and frown and flash his teeth, until he finally makes up his mind about what he wants to say.  
  
"You look like a big wet dog." Is what he says, curling his lips into a grin. "Gotta get you a leash." he adds when Harry keeps quiet, letting his eyes travel up and down his body, chest heaving.  
  
When he finally speaks, his voice comes out deep and raspy, maybe a tad threatening.  
  
"Stop running that mouth." He tells him, eyes getting dark all of sudden.  
  
Louis feels a rush of adrenaline crawling up his spine.  
  
No, he won't run, thank you for trying, sixth sense.  
  
Harry is not going to hurt him. He just looks like it, but he won't.  
  
That's why Louis goes back to his side of the bed and pats on the mattress, smiling proudly when Harry obeys and lays down beside him.  
  
The alpha immediately pulls him closer, gripping his shoulders to press him against his body.  
  
Louis lets him, looking back at him with unimpressed eyes.  
  
Harry smirks.  
  
"Don't act like you're not about to get fucked." he says, holding him tight enough Louis can't move.  
  
He can laugh though, so he does, tilting his chin up and looking Harry in the eyes.  
  
Then he shakes his head, catching the exact moment Harry gets angry again.  
  
The alpha snarls at him, pressing his erection on his thigh.  
  
So what if he's got a boner, it's not like Louis cares.  
  
"Keep it in your pants." Louis whispers, intentionally brushing his lips against Harry's, forcing himself not to kiss him.  
  
"Why don't you just admit that you're jealous?" Harry suggests, dimples showing up on his face.  
  
Louis scoffs.  
  
"Niall's cute and all," he retorts, trying to shake his fringe out of his eyes. "But it's me you can't resist." he comments, determined to ignore the wetness forming between his butt cheeks.  
  
Harry can smell it. The way he licks his lips confirms it.  
  
Louis shudders.  
  
"You're getting all wet." The alpha says, pulling him even closer, to mouth at his neck.  
  
Louis bites hard on his bottom lip, keeping a whimper in.  
  
"Don't make me reject you again." he huffs out, baring his neck for Harry to bite all the same.  
  
"You won't." Harry readily replies, scraping his teeth against the smooth skin.  
  
He's damn right. He knows he's right.  
  
Louis can't let him win, though. Not completely.  
  
"I still don't want your cock up my arse." he decides, arching into Harry's body to let him sneak a hand down his pants.  
  
"Gonna beg for it, one of these days." Harry says into his mouth, slipping his tongue inside before Louis can argue with him, pressing the tip of his fingers against his hole at the exact same moment.  
  
Louis sucks his tongue into his mouth, whimpering softly.  
  
Harry knows his way around his body, Louis can't deny it.  
  
He knows how to make him want him, teasing his hole slowly, relentlessly, rubbing at it without really pushing inside. Not until Louis bites his lips, pulling down his pants with a desperate whine.  
  
"I know, baby." Harry chuckles, squeezing his ass with both hands, parting his cheeks with a sigh.  
  
Louis lets out a moan, he drags a hand over Harry's erection, rock hard and trapped in his jeans.  
  
"Is it going to be enough, though?" Harry provokes him, finally pushing one finger inside.  
  
Louis moans again, nodding stubbornly.  
  
"More." he commands, bringing his arm behind his back to guide Harry's hand.  
  
The alpha slips another finger inside, swiping his tongue over Louis' bond mark. The omega sinks his nails into Harry's wrist, shoving his hand forward.  
  
"Deeper." he pants out, baring his neck again.  
  
Harry gives it a little bite, hard enough to have Louis whimpering, not hard enough to hurt him. Louis wishes he would hurt him a bit.  
  
Harry pushes his fingers inside of him all the way, twisting and curling them until he finds it, that spot that makes his hole clench tight around him, asking him to stay right where he is.  
  
Louis' hands fly up to Harry's crotch. He wants his cock, wants to touch it, feels how hard he got for him.  
  
It takes him a long time to take it out, while he's busy moaning and pushing back on Harry's fingers, the alpha's ragged breath ringing through his head.  
  
Harry's hard and big and thick like he remembered, hot and heavy in Louis' hand.  
  
He strokes his cock lazily, like he's only doing him a favor, mouth watering with the memory of its taste.  
  
Harry grunts something in his shoulder, slapping his free hand on his ass, fucking up into his fist.  
  
"Wanna put it inside you." Harry repeats, forcing another finger into his slick hole, hissing as Louis quietly takes it.  
  
The omega tightens his grip on his cock, squeezing hard at the base.  
  
"Don't." he blurts out, rubbing his forehead against Harry's neck.  
  
Harry lets out a long, deep growl, rising from within his chest all the way up, admonishing him.  
  
It makes Louis stop breathing for a second, makes his muscles contract in the sweetest way.  
  
"What if I just pinned you to the bed-" Harry chokes out, shoving his fingers harder inside of him.  
  
"Don't." Louis repeats, clenching tighter around his fingers, sucking him in.  
  
"You could just take it, take what I give you and spread your legs for me, come on my cock." Harry presses, sucking a bruise into his neck.  
  
"Don't." Louis says, again and again, "Don't." he sobs, but he's not sure he means it, 'cause Harry's fingers feel good and stuff him full, but his cock feels better, hits all the right spots, stretches him open in the most delicious way.  
  
That's what makes him come, gritting his teeth and grinding down on Harry's hand, just the thought of Harry's cock sliding inside of him, thick and full and so fucking good.  
  
Harry won't take his fingers out, not even when Louis manages to come down from his high to grip his cock and stroke it faster, licking into his mouth and moaning softly. He keeps them nestled inside of him, even when Louis "Want you to come all over me" tells him, like it's a filthy secret he trusts him with.  
  
He keeps his fingers stuck deep inside of him, surrounded with warmth and wetness, even as Louis sucks on his lips and makes him come, stroking him fast with both his little hands, staring at him with glossy eyes.  
  
He keeps them inside of him, 'cause that's where he wants to be all the time and Louis is gonna beg for it one of these day, he's sure of it.  
  
He just needs to wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank all of you for reading this and patiently waiting for an update, despite my doubts and struggles with the story.  
> I also want to thank For_god_sake_larry, Mr_Brightlou, Marynel, coolest, harryydaze, Soulofpeterpan, late_sleeper, purpleninjaforlife, Effy, LouLou, Typhaine and nsfw_stylinson for reaching out and supporting me when I asked for advice. It meant a lot. Thank you <3  
> I'll do my best to save this story, I promise.  
> <3


	25. Scheming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys <3  
> Sorry it took me so long, I've been writing other stuff.  
> This chapter is not really long, I know, but I'm working on the plot and trying to figure out some stuff. Be patient?  
> Hugs <3
> 
>  
> 
>  

Louis is a genius.  
  
He's always been sure of that, it just takes a while for other people to admit it, that's all.  
  
But, come on, he's just. A genius.  
  
Self-defense lessons. Niall needs them, nobody can argue with that, right?  
  
And who's the best person for the job? A strong yet sensitive alpha who's willing to do pretty much anything poor little pregnant Louis will ask him, that's who.  
  
Liam Payne, that's who.  
  
"I am not sure I am learning that much." Niall mutters from behind him.  
  
Louis throws another log into the fireplace, turning around to look at him, a little smile on his lips.  
  
"Step by step, Niall. Give it time. Liam's probably the most patient person I know, anyway. He's going to teach you all you need to know." He says, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.  
  
Niall frowns, but his expression is already changing into an amused one.  
  
"Shut up. It's nothing like that." he argues, crossing his arms and leaning against the window.  
  
Louis steps away from the fire, half of his face too hot to stand the warmth.  
  
He fixes his hair, shrugging.  
  
"Why not. You like him, don't you?"  
  
Niall bites on his bottom lip, making himself smaller.  
  
Louis laughs, quickly getting closer to him.  
  
"I bet you get all wet when he puts his hands on you, huh?" he whispers, groping his ass.  
  
Niall cracks up, shoving at him to get his hands off him.  
  
"No, I don't!" he shouts, trying to keep an angry expression but failing. "Liam is a gentleman." he adds, looking strangely proud.  
  
Louis cocks his head to the side, studying Niall's face.  
  
"So? Gentlemen like to fuck too, you know."  
  
Niall glares at him.  
  
"What did we say about this kind of conversation, Louis?" he warns him, furiously blushing.  
  
Louis laughs again, spanking Niall's bum before he can prevent it.  
  
"You said you want to have them more often, remember? Get comfortable with the topic? Go past your limits? Pop your cherry?" he teases, squeezing his hips.  
  
Niall chuckles, trying to get a grip on Louis' wrists to make him stop.  
  
"I don't even know if he likes me, Lou. I don't want to think about stuff that will probably never happen."  
  
Louis finally lets go of him, taking a step back.  
  
He presses his lips together.  
  
Niall rolls his eyes.  
  
"What? Talk."  
  
Louis shakes his head, clicking his tongue.  
  
"Niall, when will you learn? All it takes if for you to wiggle that pretty little ass of yours, make him pop his knot inside of you and before you know it, you'll be married." he explains, like it's obvious.  
  
Niall has never looked so offended.  
  
"First of all," he hisses "My ass is not little. It's perfectly normal."  
  
Louis suppresses a laugh, pressing a hand to his mouth and nodding.  
  
"And second of all?" he prompts.  
  
"Second of all," Niall begins, moving a couple steps towards him. "I am not that easy, okay? Just 'cause I like him, doesn't mean I'll let him do that. These things take time."  
  
"So you do like him." Louis provokes him, a smug smile stretching his lips.  
  
Niall blushes again, looking down.  
  
"He's handsome. He's kind, he's well mannered."  
  
"He's so dreamy." Louis cuts him off, placing a hand over his heart. "Prince charming has nothing on Liam." he adds, letting out a long sigh.  
  
Niall slaps him on the head.  
  
"Stop making fun of me." he snaps.  
  
Louis giggles, struggling to catch Niall in his arms.  
  
"I'm sorry, you just look so pretty when you talk about him! You get all flustered and happy."  
  
Niall grunts something against his chest but Louis ignores him. He pulls away from the hug, looking into his eyes.  
  
"Harry fingered me yesterday." he says, enjoying every second of Niall's agony.  
  
"Congratulations?" he tries, looking down at the floor.  
  
Louis sighs. Niall needs to work on himself. A lot.

 

 

 

Harry and his big dumb fence.  
  
Louis can't stand him.  
  
He's been going back and forth into the woods all day, followed by his two puppets, Nick and the other guy. What was his name again?  
  
Harry's so focused on whatever it is he's doing he won't even spare him a glance.  
  
Greg! The other puppet's name is Greg, Louis' quite sure.  
  
What does it matter anyway?  
  
Who cares.  
  
Who cares about Harry and Nick and Greg and their big dumb fence project.  
  
God.  
  
His life is so fucking boring.  
  
He decides to go back to Niall's cabin, at least he won't be on his own until Harry is done.

 

 

 

It's not easy explaining how he feels. It takes too much soul searching and too much effort, and it sure would be easier if Zayn stopped fucking playing with his face, squishing him like a toy.  
  
"He just makes me...so angry." Louis manages to say, as the beta crumples his cheeks.  
  
"Aaaw, say it again. So angry." he says, pinching on Louis' bottom lip.  
  
"Why do you get so handsy when you smoke." the omega complains, slapping him away.  
  
Zayn's grin gets wider.  
  
"Okay, I'm listening." he decides, sitting up on the grass and brushing a hand over his face. "Dead serious. Listening."  
  
Louis gives him a suspicious look.  
  
"I'm done." he hisses. "That's all I have to say. He makes me angry."  
  
He really does.  
  
Now Louis' thinking about last night, when he spent half an hour talking to Harry before he realized he was asleep. Not even a fucking kiss first.  
  
The beta hums, tilting his head up, letting the sun hit his face.  
  
"How do you feel when you see him? Like, after he comes back."  
  
Louis actually thinks about it for a while and then "Angry." he answers, flicking his fringe to the side.  
  
Zayn bursts out laughing.  
  
"Maybe you think it's anger but it's something else you're feeling." he suggests, nudging him.  
  
Louis frowns.  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Maybe you're just frustrated. There's something you want but you can't have it."  
  
Louis lifts a hand before Zayn can say anything else.  
  
"Stop it right there. It's not sexual. I've had sex with him and I'm still angry when we're done."  
  
The beta nods, suddenly becoming serious again.  
  
"Okay, let's try something different then." he says, throwing his legs into Louis' lap.  
  
"Why don't you tell me three things you like about him."  
  
Louis rolls his eyes, squeezing Zayn's ankles.  
  
"Really? Is this your strategy?" he questions.  
  
"Who said it's a strategy." Zayn retorts, softly kicking his hip. "I'm just trying to understand if there's a little something we can work with."  
  
Louis is still not convinced but he'll do anything to feel better at this point.  
  
"I like his eyes." he mumbles, thinking about that deep green that makes his breath catch in his throat.  
  
"What about 'em?" Zayn insists, lighting up a cigarette.  
  
"What do you mean what about 'em, they're eyes Zayn! I like his eyes."  
  
The beta turns his face the opposite direction to blow out a cloud of smoke.  
  
"What do you like about them?" He spells out, offering him a sly smile.  
  
Louis scoffs.  
  
"That they're pretty?" he tries, fidgeting with Zayn's shoe laces.  
  
"Okay, what else?"  
  
Louis rolls his eyes again.  
  
"I don't know. I like the way he looks at me when..."  
  
"When he fucks you, okay. Anything else?" Zayn interrupts him.  
  
Louis sighs.  
  
"They get kinda greyish when it's cloudy. I like that, too."  
  
Zayn seems to be finally satisfied with his answers, 'cause he offers him a disgustingly cute smile before moving on to the next question.  
  
"Alright, so you like his eyes. What else?"  
  
Louis takes a deep breath, getting only slightly annoyed by the sheer amount of details that start coming to his mind.  
  
"I like his hands. They're big and they're always warm. He keeps his nails short and clean, I noticed that."  
  
"Yeah, he's kind of an hygiene freak." Zayn adds.  
  
Louis nods, feeling the hint of a smile on his lips. It's nice that Harry's so clean, after all. Nobody wants to sleep beside a stinky alpha.  
  
Zayn wiggles his feet in his lap.  
  
"Hey, you're doing good. Good boooy." He coos, making a silly face.  
  
Louis twists his ankle and "Shut the fuck up." he barks.  
  
Zayn keeps laughing for definitely too long after that.  
  
"Okay, one more to go. What else do you like about mister Harry Styles?"  
  
Louis' eyebrows shoot upwards, a surprised expression colors his face.  
  
"That's his last name? I didn't know."  
  
The beta gives him a disappointed look.  
  
"God, he's your husband and you don't know his last name." he scolds him, trying to throw the cigarette into the river and only making it halfway there.  
  
Louis ignores him.  
  
"I like his hair. He should probably cut it a bit, though. It gets tangled easily." he thinks out loud, playing with a strand of his own hair. "His lips are nice too. Soft." he rambles, bringing his eyes back on Zayn's face.  
  
"I said three things." The beta points out. "You can stop now."  
  
Louis clears his throat, shoving his feet out of his lap and jumping up so quickly he almost loses his balance.  
  
"Okay. That was useless." He states, already starting to walk back to the village.


	26. Denial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiiiiii ç____ç  
> Hi, you guys.  
> Sorry it's taking a lifetime, I'm constantly thinking about this though, I'm trying to make it work.  
> Bear with me, please.  
> Hope you enjoy this one <3
> 
>  
> 
>  

"I know what you're trying to do." Liam grunts, throwing an acorn right on his chin.  
  
Louis pulls on his pants then, exposing Liam's polka dot briefs to half of the pack.  
  
He deserved it.  
  
The alpha laughs though, and it's not the feedback Louis was hoping for.  
  
As soon as Liam sits beside him, his initial reaction is cuddling up to him, but Harry's stare, reaching him all the way from the other side of the village, begs to differ.  
  
Louis ignores the tingling sensation in his lower abdomen and he settles on just punching Liam on his shoulder.  
  
"You only know what I'm up to when I tell you exactly what it is. You're not a smart one, Liam."  
  
He is not sure Liam is listening at first, with the way he's staring back at Harry and all.  
  
He finally snaps out of it when Louis "Stop fighting over who can piss on me first, please." points out. "You're better than that."  
  
Liam really is better than that, because he lowers his gaze, letting Harry win and smirk.  
  
"I know what you're up to before you even think about it." he then corrects, with that overly confident look in his eyes.  
  
"Yeah?" Louis shoots back, raising his eyebrows. "What is it, then?"  
  
Liam sighs.  
  
"Well, to begin with, you're thinking you're smarter than me, which is a mistake you keep on doing." he says. "And you're also trying to get me to date Niall, which is just manipulative, really."  
  
Louis swallows dry, willing his face to keep an unimpressed expression.  
  
But Liam isn't done.  
  
"And on top of it all," he continues, waiting until Harry's distracted to sneak a little kiss on his forehead. "Right now you're also thinking you're smarter than Harry, which I am sure is true. It doesn't take a lot."  
  
Louis chuckles despite everything, reminding himself to slap Liam's face a little too late.  
  
"But still," Liam tells him, staring intently into his eyes, smiling wider. "This time he's onto you."

 

 

 

No, he's not.  
  
Harry has no idea about pretty much anything going on with Louis.  
  
He's just a big, stupid dog.

 

 

 

"Would you stop calling me that?" Harry snaps that night, almost tearing apart his shirt while trying to take it off.  
  
His omega scoffs in response.  
  
"Why. You do act like a dog."  
  
Harry's about to growl, but then he realizes it would only prove Louis right.  
  
So he grins, instead.  
  
"Are you stressed or something? Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" he hisses, taking his pants off with way less rage.  
  
Louis rolls his eyes.  
  
"Will you ever stop believing your cock is the solution to all of my problems? See? Just like a dog. Eat, drink, bark and fuck. That's about everything your brain can process."  
  
Something's off here.  
  
Louis is not your typical sweet little omega, despite looking like one, and Harry's accepted that long ago, but this is a little too much even for him.  
  
"Why are you mad at me this time." he mutters, sitting on their bed.  
  
Louis immediately withdraws his legs.  
  
"I wasn't even coming on to you." Harry clarifies, watching his omega as he starts hiding his body under the covers.  
  
Louis shrugs.  
  
"Mood swings. Ignore me." he quickly replies, rubbing his eyes with one clenched fist.  
  
Harry doesn't buy it. He's good at spotting lies.  
  
He got a lot worse at spotting conspiracies against him, but simple lies he can deal with.  
  
He wants to touch him right now, even for a second, but he knows Louis wouldn't allow that to happen.  
  
"What's wrong?" he whispers, hoping Louis will stop pretending to sleep.  
  
The omega cracks one eyes open, he scrunches up his little nose.  
  
"Something happened with the pack today." he finally reveals, sitting up.  
  
Harry immediately tenses up, teeth on display.  
  
"Speak." he commands, unable to control his voice from getting more aggressive.  
  
Louis kicks out his leg in surprise, then he punches Harry in the middle of his chest.  
  
"Acting like a fucking dog!" he warns, crossing both of his arms and legs, looking even smaller than he already is.  
  
Harry winces, because, fuck, he wishes he could contradict him this time.  
  
But all of a sudden it doesn't matter anymore, because what the fuck happened, who made Louis this stressed.  
  
"Louis." Harry says, voice still low and aggravated.  
  
The omega snorts.  
  
"Calm down." he scolds. "Not _your_ pack." he says.  
  
"Mine."

 

 

 

Niall doesn't even have to try that hard to lift his spirits.  
  
All it takes is that cute little face of his, his blonde hair in the sun, his blue eyes on his face, and Louis just melts.  
  
Niall is not meant to pout or frown.  
  
He needs to smile and blush and bust your ears with that silly laugh of his.  
  
Louis just can't be miserable around him.  
  
And it works, basically.  
  
He's got a little routine going and so far so good.  
  
He sees Niall to get in a good mood, so when he sees Zayn he's able to manage how fucking _smart_ he is, he can deal with the fact he sees right through him.  
  
Fucking Zayn and his fucking sixth sense.  
  
"Whatever it is," he's saying, rolling his joint with slow, precise gestures. "It's nothing a healthy dose of your alpha's attention cannot cure."  
  
Louis would bite him, but Zayn's too good looking to be mistreated that way.  
  
Harry's more suited for violent outbursts.  
  
Later, for sure.  
  
"Zayn, for the hundredth time!" Louis yells, pushing him out of his cabin. "Sex with Harry does not make me feel better."  
  
Zayn chuckles, lighting up the joint as he walks, coming to a halt and dropping down onto the grass just a moment later.  
  
"Who said you need to have sex with him?" he retorts, with an annoying tiny smile.  
  
"Oh." Louis blurts out, subconsciously sitting down as well. "What did you mean, then?"  
  
The beta shrugs, he smokes a little more.  
  
"I don't know." he then replies. "You could try talking to him. Cuddling even. Maybe just looking into those beautiful green eyes you love so much would help."  
  
Louis was wrong.  
  
Violence was _invented_ for people like Zayn.  
  
"But then again, I'm not sure it would work."  
  
Louis sighs.  
  
"Zayn, what the hell are you trying to say?" he urges, snatching the joint out of his mouth to blackmail him into answering.  
  
Zayn's smile appears again, big and open and breathtaking.  
  
"Come on, babe. You know exactly what." he explains, reaching out to brush a hand through Louis' fringe.  
  
"A healthy dose of your alpha's attention, remember?" He adds, claiming back his joint, as Louis just blinks at him.  
  
"Oh!" he then says, shaking his head. "And by _attention_ I mean _cock_."

 

 

 

Louis was the easy part.  
  
He's not as difficult as he and Harry like to think.  
  
He goes on about how he hates talking about himself but he actually never shuts up and Zayn is good at catching what he really wants to know.  
  
Louis loves talking, as long as he doesn't realize how much he's disclosing.  
  
Harry, on the other hand, is something different.  
  
Harry used to waste time chatting, before he became the pack leader. Then something shifted, and now all he seems to able to talk about are walkers, food resources, hunting, building up a fence around the village, keeping the omegas inside as soon as the sun sets. He's not much fun to be around most times.  
  
Luckily, Zayn knows how to extort him information. Harry only tends to talk when he's mad. Zayn knows how to get under his skin.  
  
That's why "Is this the gun Louis managed to steal from you?" he asks him, as Harry takes down a walker.  
  
The alpha glares at him, putting the weapon back into his jeans.  
  
"He got to hold it for a whole minute, can you believe that?" he dismisses him, walking past the corpse and gesturing for him to follow.  
  
"You underestimate him." Zayn points out, throwing a hand around his shoulders. "But admit it. It's kinda cool that he stands up to you that way."  
  
Harry picks up the pace but that's not going to be enough to make him back off, so he hops on his back.  
  
"Yeah, a piggy ride sounds good." he realizes, closing his arms around his neck.  
  
"I'll fucking throw you off a cliff." Harry threatens him, stopping so he can make him climb off of him.  
  
Zayn complies with a whine, clinging to Harry's arm for support.  
  
"I'm tired." he groans, letting Harry basically drag him. "And it's a long way to the village and you're boring."  
  
Harry curses under his breath.  
  
"Spending all that time with Louis has turned you into a pain in the ass." he grunts, walking even faster just to make him struggle.  
  
Zayn holds his arm tighter and he manages to make him slow down after a while.  
  
"You shouldn't talk shit about your omega, it's not nice." he scolds him, relying on his desire to be fair.  
  
It works.  
  
"I know. I'm just...You're right." Harry mumbles, looking down.  
  
Harry and his conscience. Louis couldn't have found a better prey than him.  
  
"Besides," he starts, quickly looking up at him. "There must be something you like about him."  
  
Harry bites on his lip, suddenly looking alert.  
  
"Drop it."  
  
Fuck, he's good.  
  
Zayn laughs.  
  
"Come on, give me three things."  
  
"Zayn, drop it now." Harry repeats, his voice getting more assertive.  
  
"Three little things and I'll leave you alone." Zayn promises, suddenly letting go of him and sitting on the grass to light up a cigarette.  
  
Harry slowly drags a hand over his forehead.  
  
"What are you doing now." he whispers, more to himself than him.  
  
"You gotta let me smoke one." Zayn declares, crossing his legs.  
  
"Zayn, it's gonna take us hours to get back, stop wasting my time." Harry begs him, trying to lift him off the ground.  
  
"Tell you what," Zayn says, escaping his grip. "You tell me those three things and I put it out. Just like that."  
  
Harry sighs.  
  
"Fine, what the hell." he blurts out in the end.  
  
Zayn smiles at him.  
  
"Whenever you're ready."  
  
"I like his smell, his body and his eyes." Harry shoots immediately, reaching out a hand. "Now put it out and start walking."  
  
Zayn starts laughing, giving him a handful of ash.  
  
"That's not what I meant!" he protests. "You have to be more specific."  
  
The alpha growls then, he starts walking in circles.  
  
"What do you want Zayn?" he explodes, scaring a couple birds out of a tree. "I told you what you wanted to hear, didn't I?!"  
  
Zayn slowly shakes his head, taking another long drag.  
  
"Be more specific."  
  
"I like his body, Zayn, what do you want me to say? I like his ass, his thighs, his belly button."  
  
The beta corks an eyebrow, suddenly more interested.  
  
"His belly button?"  
  
Harry shrugs.  
  
"Yeah, 's cute."  
  
Zayn laughs then, 'cause he can no longer keep it in.  
  
"His belly button." he repeats, gasping for air.  
  
That's when Harry snatches the cigarette out of his mouth, greedily sucking on the filter before throwing it on the ground and stomping on it.  
  
"Walk." He snarls, finally managing to pull Zayn up to his feet.

 

 

 

A whole day goes by and for a minute there he actually thought Zayn let him get away with it.  
  
At some point he starts calling him belly button though, and Harry had it coming.  
  
He would even be able to make it through the humiliation if Zayn didn't take it to the next level.  
  
He finds out that night, while he's already tucked in, not so secretly looking at Louis take his clothes off.  
  
"What." He hears him whisper. "See something you like?"  
  
Harry shifts uncomfortably under the covers, frowning at him.  
  
He likes all of it, it's not news.  
  
But then Louis slowly takes off his shirt, he drags his little hands down his stomach, quickly dipping the tip of his finger into his navel and all Harry can do is groan and bury his face into a pillow.  
  
He hears Louis' laughter, his footsteps getting closer to the bed.  
  
"'m gonna kill him" he mutters, still hiding his face.  
  
Louis giggles, curling up against him until Harry is holding him into his arms, finally finding enough courage to look at his face.  
  
He's smiling, little teeth out and eyes crinkling and everything.  
  
"Say it to my face, then." He whispers softly, planting both hands on his chest.  
  
Harry grunts.  
  
"Forget it."  
  
Louis laughs again, pushing him until he's lying flat on his back, climbing on top of his chest and sticking his elbows into his stomach in the process.  
  
Harry huffs, trying to keep him still.  
  
"Come on." Louis tries again, blinking his eyes so many time Harry loses count. "What was it that you told Zayn, mh?"  
  
Harry starts rubbing his hand up and down his naked back, staring into his eyes.  
  
"You know you're giving me a boner, right? Are you sure you want to keep doing this?" he warns him, letting his hand slip further down his back.  
  
Louis shrugs.  
  
"Maybe I'll let you put it in my belly button." he teases, letting out a surprised shriek when Harry flips them, shifting their bodies until he's properly got him underneath him.  
  
"Maybe I'll come inside of it." Harry mumbles against his neck, leaving a wet kiss on his bond mark. "Make a mess all over your tummy, what do you think?" he adds, nipping at the warm flesh.  
  
Louis lets out a shaky breath but he pushes him off, forcing him to look at him.  
  
"Say it first." he insists, catching his face with both hands. "I need to hear it from you." he says, pouting.  
  
Harry bites his bottom lip, pushing back a smile.  
  
"And you're gonna let me put it in you?" he asks, making space for himself between Louis' thighs.  
  
Louis nods, still pouting.  
  
"Gonna let you make a mess all over my tummy." he reminds him, and fuck it, Harry's in.  
  
"You have the cutest belly button I've ever seen." he whispers, leaving a trail of kisses down Louis' neck. "So pretty." he says, letting his hand travel down Louis' stomach.  
  
Louis stops him before he can get there, though, squeezing Harry's wrist and laughing so hard tears start forming into the corners of his eyes.  
  
"You are so fucking weird!" he resolves, turning around to get on his knees.  
  
"I don't even want to look at you while you fuck me." he comments, arching his back.  
  
Harry grabs him by the hips, flipping him again.  
  
"Yes, you will." he declares, spreading his legs apart.  
  
"You will look at me while I wreck this little ass of yours."  
  
Louis whimpers at that, feeling his hole get slick just with the sound of Harry's voice.  
  
The alpha places a hand over his throat, leaning down to lick at his lips and then into his mouth, twisting his tongue inside of it until Louis has to push him off to catch his breath.  
  
"And you will beg me to come in your belly button." Harry continues, echoing Louis' laughter and finally realizing how ridiculous he sounds.  
  
He still does come on his tummy though, actually managing to shoot some cum into his belly button.  
  
Louis doesn't beg for it, but he doesn't fight it either.  
  
Maybe Harry owes Zayn a favor, after all.

 

 

 

Sex with Harry is something Louis struggles with.  
  
He has a hard time deciding whether he wants _him_ or just _his alpha_.  
  
Most times he avoids it just to be consistent.  
  
But Zayn was right.  
  
Having Harry's "attention" makes all the noise in his head disappear.  
  
Then there's just his scent, his hands, his weight pressing him down, heavy and warm and comforting.  
  
His knot is still something Louis cannot take, because it would have the opposite effect on his mental state.  
  
The noise would all come back, louder, asking for answers.  
  
Louis has a lot of questions to put aside, right now.  
  
He needs balance, he needs _this_.  
  
Pretending this is his life.  
  
  
  
  
  
Louis has always been good at handling criticism.  
  
Well, he's always been good at _ignoring_ criticism.  
  
But he can't do that this time.  
  
If it had come from Diana or Maddie or even Liam, he would have been able to shrug it off, flip them off.  
  
But it was Will, who said it.  
  
Will never talks out his ass, that's the thing. He only says something when he has something to say.

_I'm glad you're adapting. You're always been good at that, Louis_.

Is what he had to say.

_Maybe forgetting about the rest of us is part of that._  
_This was supposed to be a fresh start for the whole pack_.  
_But I guess all the time in the world is not enough for you to come visit every once in a while_.

Is what Will said.

_Who did you even do this for?_

Is the last thing he told him, as Louis tried to come up with something, _anything_ to say.

Them.  
  
He did it for them.  
  
All of them, himself included.  
  
Because he was tired of sleeping in open fields and feeling vulnerable and being cold and hungry and scared.  
  
He was tired of seeing them struggle, starve, barely survive.  
  
He was sick of running from his past to the point where he had to build a shitty present for himself, one so fucked up it would keep him busy.  
  
And yes, in the middle of that, he forgot about them.  
  
But that's the price to pay when you start over.  
  
You gotta leave it all behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope I'm going to have time to write this summer, now that I'm done working.  
> I really want to <3
> 
>  
> 
> Are you guys still here?  
> Do you still love the story?
> 
> Come here, talk to me <3


	27. Adrenaline

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrote this one in a couple hours, it basically wrote itself.  
> Enjoy <3

It's moments like this one that make him want to spend a few more years on this dead planet, give it another shot.  
  
Moments like these, with the cold morning air crashing against his face, the noise of Zayn's bike tearing the silence in half, the empty road ahead of them.  
  
Maybe this dead planet deserves a second chance, after all.  
  
  


 

"So how fast do you reckon we're gonna get killed?" Louis casually asks him, taking his helmet off and letting it fall onto the grass.  
  
Zayn seems to be thinking about it for a while, then he shrugs.  
  
"There's only one way to find out." he concludes, leading the way.  
  
Louis can't keep an excited giggle from escaping his throat.  
  
So what if they get killed. It's always better than just _dying_ , isn't it?  
  
And if he does get eaten alive by a walker, at least he's going with a weapon held tight in his arms, the only cool way to die after the world ends.  
  
His reputation is at stake here.  


 

Louis has a thousand different reasons to love Zayn today.  
  
He got him out of the village, which is already enough to get him hyped.  
  
Then he took him out here on his bike, with the wind and the noise and the adrenaline and all you could ever want from a secret bike ride.  
  
He also decided to keep the gun and give Louis the rifle, and if that's not love, then Louis doesn't know what love is.  
  
This place looks spooky even at seven in the morning, giving off plenty of _you're going to get slaughtered_ vibes, with the rust and the weeds eating up the walls and that stench of dead things that have been dead for a while.  
  
Louis takes it all in, and he knows he's smiling, he can't wipe that stupid grin off his face.  
  
He takes it in, as he slowly follows Zayn to the entrance: the smashed windows, the creaking gate, that worn out shoe lying on the grass, the rats running in every direction with every step they move towards the door.  
  
Zayn places his hand on the rusty handle, turning around slightly so he can look him in the eyes.  
  
"If you changed your mind, now's the time to say something, babe." he says, crushing half a sigarette under his heavy leather boot.  
  
Louis keeps smiling, harder, face almost tired of it.  
  
"Get your skinny ass in there, Zayn."  
  
  


 

There's a small space, a wooden desk in the middle, lying on its side, bent and broken, pieces of paper all over the stained tiles.  
  
There's an elevator, door smashed in, wires hanging down like a bunch of snakes.  
  
Then there are two corridors starting at each side, signs still hanging over them, giving directions for opposite departments.  
  
"So?" Zayn prompts, checking to see if his gun is properly loaded.  
  
_Just now_.  
  
  
"Wanna take a tour of Pediatrics?"  
  
Louis bites on the inside of his cheeks, he turns his head towards the other corridor. "I'm more in the mood for Geriatrics, actually." he replies. "Old people get the best drugs."  
  
Zayn's face lights up at that.  
  
"Oh, Louis." he whispers, leading the way once again. "Why haven't we met before?"  
  
  


 

He had forgotten it.  
  
But Zayn was here to remind him about it, the sound a bullet makes when it gets fired inside of a closed space, moving the air in waves, echoing through the walls, the noise it makes as it breaches through a rotten skull.  
  
It all comes back in a rush.  
  
"Dibs on the next one." Louis blurts out, moving Zayn out of the way and climbing over the dead walker.  
  
"And if we don't find any," he adds, quickly inspecting both rooms at his sides. "Then I'm shooting you."  
  
He hears Zayn chuckle behind him and then "Can't you hear it?" he hears him say, just as another walker pops out of the next room, growling and spitting and Louis hasn't been this close to death in months.  
  
It's intoxicating.  
  
He watches it, mesmerized, as it drags himself on crooked legs, dragging a filthy hand over the wall, eyes trained on Louis' face, mouth agape and spilling drool all over the floor, like he can taste him already.  
  
"Louis-"  
  
"Would you look at this fucker." Louis laughs, leaning against the same wall the walker is using for support. "Can barely move, choking on his own spit with the anticipation."  
  
"Yeah, he could use a snack." Zayn quickly replies, taking hold of Louis' shirt to gently pull him back. "How about you feed him a couple bullets, babe." he urges.  
  
Louis' still staring at it, simply baffled with how relentless it is, putting its weight on broken feet, scratching its nails on the hard surface, leaving blood trails behind.  
  
Then he realizes, how fast his heart is pumping, Louis can almost make out what it's saying, _fuck, fuck, fuck_ , it sounds like, desperately bumping against his chest, blood rushing through his head and his limbs. The walker is approaching slow and steady, vocal chords rasping furious noises out.  
  
And the blood keeps rushing up and down, his arms come up on their own, hands gripping the rifle, until the muzzle slides right into its mouth and the walker somehow gets a sudden burst of energy, it starts snarling and biting at it, only making it easier for Louis to fire a few bullets right down its throat.  
  
"Not hungry anymore, huh." Zayn's voice tells him, traveling through the ringing in his ears.  
  
No, it's not.  
  
Now it's just dead.  
  
  


 

"Why haven't you guys brought all of this stuff back to the village?" Louis wonders, using the rifle to scour through a couple boxes filled with medication.  
  
Zayn's using some white bandages to make a huge bow and Louis doesn't need a weapon to change his mind about putting it on his head. His murderous look is enough for him to sigh and put it down.  
  
"Harry thinks this place is infested with walkers." he explains. "He's been planning to come here with a few alphas."  
  
Louis snorts.  
  
"Infested is a big word, now, isn't it."  
  
Well, he did have to shoot seven walkers in order to get to the end of the corridor, but he's seen worse.  
  
Zayn's face does not agree, though.  
  
"What?" Louis asks him. "Is there something you're not telling me?"  
  
Zayn brings his index finger over his own lips then, looking up to the ceiling.  
  
"Hear that?" he murmurs. "Infested is the right word."  
  
Louis gives him a suspicious look.  
  
"And why haven't they come downstairs to feast on us, then?"  
  
Then he does hear it, the shuffling of feet, the collective moaning and growling, the sound of dozens of fists banging on a single door.  
  
"They're locked inside." Zayn tells him, gripping his wrist and pulling him out of the room. "For now." he clarifies, quickly dragging Louis outside of the clinic.  
  
  


 

"Where have you been." he goes when he sees him. "Where have you been." he says again, cornering him as soon as Louis slams the door closed behind him.  
  
"I was at Niall's." Louis replies, breath already catching in his throat. He's not exactly lying, he did spend the past hour with Niall, waiting for Harry to be back.  
  
"Before that." Harry spits out, lowering his head to look him right in his eyes.  
  
Louis finds himself smiling, biting at his bottom lip, chest tightening.  
  
"Where have _you_ been." he says, circling Harry's neck with his arms. "Left me all alone." he adds, innocent pout on his lips.  
  
Harry smiles back, but he's only holding back his growl, Louis can feel it in the way he's breathing.  
  
"Don't fuck with me." he threatens, pressing both palms against the wall behind him, bodies not touching. "I know you're hiding something from me."  
  
Louis' smile opens up, his laughter spills out.  
  
"Yeah, so what." he retorts, arching his back against the wall, looking up at his alpha, slow and coy.  
  
Harry keeps still, eyes trained on his face.  
  
"Ask me." he then instructs, as his lips curl into an actual smile.  
  
Louis' breathing in small puffs at this point, barely handling the tension.  
  
"Ask you what." he manages to blurt out.  
  
Harry nuzzles his neck just for a moment, he inhales deeply, then he breathes out, with his eyes closed.  
  
"What you want. You need to ask for it." he spells out, looking him up and down, catching that unmistakable scent.  
  
He still doesn't touch him though and Louis' getting sick of it, he's getting closer now, standing on his tiptoes to find his lips.  
  
But Harry's not having it, he pulls back, arms stubbornly keeping him stuck in that same corner.  
  
"Ask me." he reminds him, licking his lips.  
  
Louis lets go of him then, withdrawing his hands so he can let them travel up his own stomach, rucking up his shirt.  
  
"Why would I ask for it." He's whispering, as Harry's eyes follow his every movement. "When I can just take it."  
  
  


 

"It's not very alpha of you, is it?" Louis tells him through gritted teeth. "Letting this tiny omega ride you this way."  
  
Harry darts forward but Louis pushes him back down, shifting his whole weight on his arms to keep Harry right where he is.  
  
"Who do you reckon is getting fucked?" he provokes, just as Harry lets out a loud moan.  
  
"Do I care?" he breathes, gripping his hips so hard Louis winces.  
  
But it doesn't keep him from moving, lifting his body up and slamming it back down on Harry's cock, holding tight on Harry's wrists to get some leverage.  
  
"You do care." Louis hisses, circling his hips. "You're going out of your mind."  
  
Harry starts laughing, and it's a defeated laugh, it's a white flag, despite the fact his muscles keep on accumulating tension, probably getting him ready to flip Louis underneath him.  
  
"You like it best when I'm the one getting fucked-"  
  
"Well, so do you." Harry cuts him off, raising his eyebrows.  
  
Louis laughs again, he shoves harder against his body.  
  
"You're not convincing," he pants. "when we both know you've been trying not to come since I sat on you ten minutes ago."  
  
And just as he says that his own orgasm hits him, sudden and electric, forcing his muscles to work even harder, faster, legs tightening around Harry's hips, his body desperately chasing the high.  
  
Harry moans through it, meeting him halfway, burying himself inside of him as far as he can go, until Louis goes still, splaying both hands over Harry's chest, head hanging loose between his shoulders.  
  
"Fuck."  
  
Harry's breathing is just frantic now but he manages to wait, keep quiet and still, letting Louis come back to his senses enough to start rocking his hips again.  
  
Then Harry smiles up at him, he sits up to grab his face with one big hand and kiss him, slow, deep, hard.  
  
He pulls back, making Louis shift until he can properly look at him and "Are you done?" he asks, with a smug smile. "You've had your fun, playing the alpha. I'll take care of it, now."  
  
Louis can't help but giggle and kiss him again, angry but still slow. _If you only knew_ , he's thinking, as his hips begin picking up the pace again.  
  
"I'm not done." he states, pushing Harry down onto the mattress once again, letting his cock almost slip out of him and taking it back in with one quick motion.  
  
Harry squeezes his eyes shut, face caught in a silent scream.  
  
"Lay back and enjoy the ride, yeah?" Louis adds, leaning over him to lick at his lips.  
  
"We're only stopping when the world ends again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you guys like it?


	28. Burdens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a happy chapter, as you might have realized looking at the title.  
> But I hope you still enjoy it <3

"So do you like him or not?"  
  
Liam's not good at hiding his smiles and Louis' the best at reading him.  
  
"He's cute, isn't he?" Louis presses, following Liam to the river.  
  
The alpha shrugs one shoulder, kneeling down on the grass and dipping his hands into the water.  
  
"He is." he just says, shifting his attention to the bag resting by his feet.  
  
Louis scoffs, he tries to kick it into the river but Liam knows him too well to let that happen.  
  
"I'm trying to make conversation, you idiot!" the omega rants. "What the hell are you doing?"  
  
Liam ignores him, and he pulls out a few pieces of clothing.  
  
Louis can't keep his amusement bottled in.  
  
"Are you seriously doing your laundry?!" he shrieks, sitting down beside him.  
  
Liam smiles at him.  
  
"I don't have a husband who does it for me." he provokes him, putting a wrinkled shirt into the water.  
  
Oh, come on, he's making this too easy.  
  
"And that's exactly why you should settle down with Niall!" he declares. "He'll be happy to wash your clothes, and make you dinner and rub your feet after a long day at work."  
  
Liam finally laughs, shaking his head.  
  
"Why is it so important to you?" he asks him, focusing his attention on the next shirt he's washing. "You don't need to take care of me, you know."  
  
Louis frowns at him, but Liam's not even looking at his face, so he scoffs.  
  
"That is _my_ line, Liam." he scolds him.  
  
The alpha "Oh, of course." mocks him. "What am I supposed to say, then."  
  
Louis gets rid of his shoes, he lets his legs dangle until his feet reach the cold water. He knows exactly what Liam should say.  
  
"Oh, Louis." the omega starts, placing a hand over his chest. "I cannot believe you care this much about me. No one has ever shown me this much affection in my whole life, I might just break down and cry."  
  
Louis has a lot more to say, but the fed up look Liam gives him makes him stop.  
  
"I know you care about me." the alpha confirms, washing the last piece of clothing in his bag. "But these things cannot be forced."  
  
Louis kicks some water into his face then.  
  
"Of course they can!" he argues. "Take me an Harry, for example."  
  
He knows he shouldn't have said it the moment he's done speaking, the moment he sees Liam drop his sweats into the river, helplessly staring at them as they get dragged away by the current.  
  
Then the alpha turns his head to look at him, face gone blank with surprise.  
  
"What about you and Harry." he says.  
  
At that point Louis withdraws his legs, rubbing his wet feet against the grass, stalling.  
  
What about him and Harry.  
  
He shrugs, he nervously brushes his fringe away from his face.  
  
"Well-" He stutters, forcing himself to look at Liam's face. "We're doing a little better now." he admits, like it's a mistake.  
  
To Liam it sure comes as a shock.  
  
He opens his mouth to say something but then he changes his mind, he grabs all of his clothes and he puts them back into the bag.  
  
Then he gets up.  
  
"Let's head back, yeah?" he mutters, looking down.  
  
  


 

Louis doesn't like Lily.  
  
She's been wonderful to him so far, completely available for any doubts or questions that might come to mind concerning the pregnancy.  
  
The thing is, Louis has no questions about it.  
  
To be completely honest, he tries not to think about it at all.  
  
And that's basically why Louis doesn't like Lily.  
  
Seeing her means realizing he is actually pregnant, there is an actual baby in there, no matter how hard he tries to ignore it.  
  
She's invited him to her cabin and that always means Harry asked her to check on him.  
  
They're similar when it comes to this, Harry and Louis, only dealing with the situation on their own, never talking about it when it's just the two of them.  
  
At first she tries to make small talk, asking if he's finally adjusted to life in the village, but Louis' not comfortable, he wants this to be over and it hasn't even begun yet.  
  
She can obviously see that and after a while she finally gives up.  
  
"So this is your twelfth week," she tells him, sitting down on her couch. "The risk of miscarriage is significantly lower, now."  
  
Louis shrugs.  
  
"Guess I can announce it on facebook, then." he retorts, leaning against the wall.  
  
She chuckles, shaking her head at him.  
  
"Are you still experiencing morning sickness?" she asks him, becoming suddenly serious.  
  
Louis just wants to leave, he feels like a dog who's been dragged to the vet.  
  
"No." he replies.  
  
Maybe if he makes his answers shorter she'll give up sooner, who knows.  
  
"Good," she tells him, smiling. "Also your mood swings are supposed to get better now."  
  
Then she gets up and Louis immediately turns towards the door.  
  
Lily walks up to him, she places a hand between his shoulder blades as they walk.  
  
"Is there anything I can help you with?" she then asks him, withdrawing her hand so she can grab the handle.  
  
"No." Louis immediately shoots back.  
  
Then she opens the door and something shifts in his head, a tiny bubble of anxiety pops inside of his chest.  
  
"Well, I-" he starts, stopping to breathe in.  
  
She nods, encouraging him to go on.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
Louis hates going to the vet.  
  
But this is something that's been bothering him for quite a while now, it's probably going to get worse if he keeps putting it aside.  
  
"There's no bump." he blurts out.  
  
It's true and it's obvious.  
  
He's been spending way too much time in front of the mirror each morning, telling himself he's not looking for anything, but actually wondering.  
  
Why isn't it there yet.  
  
Lily smiles again, wide and sweet, she tilts her head to the side.  
  
"The baby's there." she states. "But it's your first pregnancy, so it's common, don't worry. You'll start showing soon."  
  
With that said, it's Louis who takes hold of the door handle this time, swinging the door open with one quick motion.  
  
"Thanks." he mumbles, getting the fuck out of there.  
  
  


 

"If I leave for three days," Harry tells him that night, just as Louis was considering sneaking a hand into his briefs. "Can you promise me you'll try to be safe?"  
  
Their bodies instantly stop touching at that point. Louis quickly pulls back, away from Harry's warm chest.  
  
He gives him a perplexed look.  
  
"Why would you leave?" he asks, as a sudden rush of anxiety starts expanding inside of him.  
  
Harry presses his lips together.  
  
"My rut's supposed to start in a couple days." he explains, rubbing a hand over his face. "Guess I'd better leave." he adds, and Louis just knows it. He knows what Harry's trying to find out.  
  
But they both know he's right.  
  
Louis takes a deep breath, he offers him an uncomfortable smile.  
  
"I can't do that, Harry." he finally says, shaking his head. "I wish I could, but-"  
  
"I know." Harry interrupts him.  
  
Louis' quite sure that he's attempting to hide his disappointment, he can see it on his face, he can hear it in his voice, but he doesn't say anything, he waits for Harry to speak again.  
  
"I'll be back soon, anyway." the alpha adds, shrugging.  
  
Louis would like to pretend he's okay with it, but he just can't tonight, he's feeling guilty and vulnerable and he just wants Harry to understand.  
  
"Are you angry?" he asks him then, spitting it out before the conversation can drop.  
  
The alpha wasn't expecting it.  
  
He raises his eyebrows, he nervously scratches his jaw.  
  
"You are." Louis observes, lowering his gaze.  
  
They're both quiet for a while and Louis regrets it for a moment, suddenly realizing opening up to him won't be as easy as he thought.  
  
He's kinda hoping Harry will just turn his back on him and go to sleep, but the alpha can clearly feel his distress and he won't let it go unnoticed.  
  
"No, I'm just-" he tries, pausing to sit up on the bed and lean a little closer.  
  
Louis is still trying to get his eyes back on his face but it just won't happen, he simply can't look at him right now.  
  
"Could you just tell me...why?"  
  
Harry's voice is low and soft, already responding to Louis' emotions, trying to reassure him.  
  
Louis shrugs, he bites his bottom lip. Then he breathes in, deep and slow, trying to ignore the fact he's about to cry.  
  
Harry waits a little longer, holding back and not touching him, even though he's subconsciously getting closer to him.  
  
"You'd have to knot me a hundred times on average, right?" The omega asks, laughing a little, in hopes it's going to distract Harry from how broken his voice sounds.  
  
Then he breathes again, it's fast and shaky this time, and "Only thinking about it makes me panic." he admits, quickly glancing at Harry's face, catching his confused look.  
  
He's wishing he could take it all back again, he's hoping Harry won't try to dig any deeper than this.  
  
But who is he kidding.  
  
"I don't get it, Louis." Harry tells him. "We've done it before and-"  
  
"I was in heat." Louis hisses, forcing Harry to go quiet again. "Or maybe you're talking about the time I was forced to take your knot so you could bond me."  
  
And he knows it, he knows he's getting defensive and aggressive and just completely unapproachable, but that's the only thing he can do right now that's going to keep him from shutting down completely.  
  
He turns around to look at him and he finds him confused and uncomfortable, jaw clenched, eyes burning.  
  
His instinct's telling him to apologize and look for Harry's attention, his touch, his smell, but he's going to fight against it, he has to.  
  
"I've tried explaining this to you before." he mutters, sitting up on the bed.  
  
He hears Harry sigh again, then he feels him shift, feels his arms closing around him.  
  
The alpha pulls him back until Louis' pressed against his chest, able to realize how fast Harry's heart is beating.  
  
"Don't get upset." he pleads, brushing his lips against the shell of his ear. "Or I'll get upset too, remember?" he then adds, making Louis shudder right after, pressing his tongue against the delicate skin of their bond mark.  
  
The omega holds his breath, he lets Harry comfort him that way, despite his head is pushing for him to keep fighting.  
  
He doesn't want to fight anymore.  
  
He just wants Harry to understand.  
  
  


 

 

"Is it that important to you?" Zayn asks him, after so long Harry was convinced he didn't even hear what he had told him.  
  
That's why he stops walking, he waits for him to catch up.  
  
"He's my omega." he says.  
  
Zayn raises his eyebrows, he shrugs, "I know" he replies. "You've been saying it quiet often lately." he adds, unable to let Harry catch a break, apparently.  
  
The alpha frowns and he starts walking again, slower than usual, allowing Zayn to walk beside him with less effort.  
  
"I don't really feel like he's-" he pauses, he winces at what he's about to say and "mine" he explains "until he lets me knot him."  
  
Zayn nods, he stays quiet for a few seconds.  
  
"Maybe that's it." he realizes. "Maybe Louis is still struggling with the idea of being yours."  
  
The alpha tries to ignore his stomach dropping.  
  
"My mom says it's about trust." he tells him, subconsciously picking up the pace again.  
  
The beta stops walking, he points somewhere behind them, a questioning look on his face.  
  
Harry shakes his head.  
  
"It's some kind of animal." he reassures him. "Keep walking."  
  
Zayn complies, getting closer to him.  
  
"Well, she's an omega. She probably knows what she's talking about."  
  
Harry thinks about it for a while, he wonders whether he should drop the topic at this point.  
  
But there's a weight sitting heavy in his chest, it won't let go of him and he can't forget about it, no matter how hard he tries.  
  
"It's either that or he believes it's degrading or something." he explains, crouching down to inspect some prints.  
  
When he gets back up he realizes Zayn's staring at him, in a way that makes him tense up.  
  
"There's something you're not telling me." the beta accuses him, pointing his index finger at him.  
  
Harry breathes in, fast and sharp, he thinks about it a bit harder, then he gives up.  
  
He needs to get it out.  
  
And it'll probably become even more real at that point, it's going to come back to more frequently, but he's tried pretending it's not there and that only made it worse.  
  
So he rubs his hands on his thighs, he breathes in again and "Well," he starts. "It might be something else." he admits, staring back at Zayn's confused face.  
  
The beta doesn't ask, he simply nods his head, waiting until Harry's ready to speak again.  
  
The alpha clenches his fists, his eyes squeeze shut for a moment, his breathing gets uneven, and Zayn just waits, he keeps quiet and he waits, until Harry opens his eyes again and he tells him.  
  
"Maybe he was abused." the alpha mutters, voice so low and charged Zayn takes a step back.  
  
Then he pinches the bridge of his nose, he looks down at the muddy ground for a while, and Zayn is silent and still, he watches him as he tries to regain control.  
  
But when Harry lifts his head up he looks even worse, he looks livid, his chest going up and down so fast Zayn expects to hear his growl any moment.  
  
The alpha is frozen in place, knuckles white, teeth bared.  
  
"Maybe someone hurt him," he hisses. "And because of them he's never going to trust me."  
  
Zayn sighs, he gets closer to him despite Harry's threatening stance, until he can put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"And what are you going to do if that's the case?" he asks, looking into his eyes.  
  
Harry slowly calms down a bit, he exhales for a long moment.  
  
They start walking again and Zayn follows behind, patient as he is, and when the alpha speaks again he knows something, somewhere along the way, shifted inside of him.  
  
"I'm going to protect him all the same." Harry says, low and assertive. "Whether he likes it or not."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ready for some needy Louis?  
> Read for some fluff and feelings and omg?  
> Coming up next <3


	29. Promises are the sweetest lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi <3
> 
> Sorry guys, I was working on my other fic.  
> Have you read it? It's called Oblivious, go check it out <3
> 
> But first, here's the new chapter.  
> Enjoy <3

Louis realizes it's happening before he can open his eyes, despite the fact he was fast asleep, because his body instantly _reacts_.  
  
He hears Harry groaning and shifting on their bed, then suddenly his scent is the only thing he's able to perceive, strong and tempting and demanding.  
  
Louis whines, he tears the covers away from his body, arching his back, blindly looking for his alpha's warmth.  
  
But Harry's already up, grunting and panting and frantically looking for something in the darkness of the room.  
  
Louis manages to sit up on their bed, mouth dry, chest heaving.  
  
Then Harry finds it, his backpack, he positively throws it downstairs and "Gotta leave." he blurts out, voice hoarse and broken.  
  
Louis' spine is tingling, a distressed sound escapes his mouth as Harry rushes outside.  
  
It makes Harry stop in his tracks, turn around to look at him, and Louis has never seen this much agony on his face.  
  
It makes it even harder letting go of him once Harry starts kissing him, unable to keep his hands away, touching and squeezing and groping everything he can before he "Louis." snarls. "I have to go. Now."  
  
And then that expression is back, that agonizing mix of sadness and guilt and pain and Louis wants to ask him to stay but he just can't.  
  
It's horrible, the way Harry needs to grip his wrists to force Louis to let go of his shirt, his voice as he apologizes when it's not even his fault.  
  
"Don't do this to me." he begs him, voice getting even lower now, scent getting stronger. "I'm so sorry. Be safe, yeah?" he says then, words rushed and tangled. "I'll be back soon, I promise, so soon, just be safe, I need you to-"  
  
Louis presses a hand to his mouth, he nods so many times his head starts spinning.  
  
"I'll wait here." he reassures him, or at least he tries, trying to ignore how desperate his own voice sounds.  
  
Because what he is really thinking is nothing like what he actually tells him, because _don't go, don't leave me, please, just stay, don't go, I need you here with me_.  
  
"I'll be okay." he promises instead, letting Harry press his mouth to his neck, breathing in deep.  
  
The alpha pulls back with a pained groan and Louis only has enough time to brush his curls away from his face, before Harry runs out of the room and leaves the cabin.  
  
  


The problem when you're arguing with Zayn is that Zayn doesn't argue with you.  
  
No matter how much Louis yells, and begs and pouts, Zayn stays calm and collected, untouched.  
  
"Five minutes." Louis tries again. "We get in, we get out."  
  
Zayn rubs his forehead, he looks behind to make sure no one's listening to them.  
  
"Nobody watches me when I'm with you." Louis presses.  
  
Zayn frowns at him and "That's 'cause Harry trusts me to take care of you." he reminds him. "And what you're asking me is the exact opposite of that."  
  
"Nothing happened!" Louis snaps, jumping up. "How do you think I've made it this far? I'll be careful Zayn, _I promise_." he whines this time, staring into his eyes.  
  
Zayn turns around once again, he inspects their surroundings in silence.  
  
When he looks at him again, Louis see it, he finally sees it.  
  
_Maybe_ he's about to cave.  
  
"Zayn, please." he begs again, joining his hands together. "Please."  
  
The beta sighs, he looks up at the sky.  
  
"Lou, I think it's going to rain." he says, shaking his head. "I just feel like it's a bad idea."  
  
Louis' about to scream. He's about to scream so loud.  
  
"Zayn." he says, closing his eyes for a moment. "I am going to scream." he informs him.  
  
Zayn know he's not kidding, he can see how frustrated Louis is.  
  
So he rubs his chin for a while, looking at him in a way that's supposed to change his mind, desperate and unsure.  
  
"Why do you want to go so bad?" he asks, throwing his hands into the air.  
  
Louis bites on his bottom lip, sharp little teeth digging into the soft flesh, exasperation taking over him faster than he can think.  
  
"Because I need to shoot something in its fucking face, that's why." he grits out.  
  
  


It happens right away.  
  
Louis doesn't know if he's supposed to blame it on himself, for being too eager, too impatient to get inside and test his gun on the first thing that moves a step towards him.  
  
Maybe he should blame it on bad luck, that's all it is really, because shit happens and that's part of life, even after the world ends.  
  
But most of anything he feels like he should blame it on Zayn, on his anxiety, because he's starting to believe that negative thoughts attract negative events.  
  
So the first thing that comes to mind, as he slips and falls face first onto the tiled floor is _bad karma_ , and then he can't think about anything, because the pain hits him hard and fast, he feels like blacking out for a second, air punched right out of his lungs, adrenaline coursing through his whole body to the point where he _hopes_ he's just going to pass out.  
  
But he doesn't, he lies there for a few agonizing seconds, mouth agape and face scrunched up, and he only realizes after his ears stop ringing, that Zayn is _freaking the fuck out_.  
  
Louis is not a child, he's not a crybaby, he doesn't get scared this easy.  
  
But he has no fucking time right now to reassure Zayn because he's still trying to catch a breath, he only needs one, but that shooting pain won't stop long enough for him to do that, it's pulsing and stinging and keeping him glued to the floor.  
  
And it's all he can think about, even as he hears Zayn go off, feels him as he tries to pick him up, unable to beg him not to touch him because all he needs to do right now is _pass the fuck out_.  
  
Then he finally makes it, as Zayn carefully lifts his head up from the floor, he manages to suck some air in, get his lungs working again.  
  
It only makes it worse for a dreadful moment, it feels like he's being stabbed in his ribs again and again and again, but he pushes through it, keeps breathing, keeps fighting for the pain to subside.  
  
Then he blinks his eyes open and he sees the little pool of blood forming under his chin, drops dripping steadily onto it, and for a second he's convinced his jaw must have detached from his face, it must have, _it must have_.  
  
Louis is no child, he is no crybaby, but he's an omega, it's part of him, even though he's been trying to forget it for just about his whole life, he just is, and suddenly all he's thinking about is Harry.  
  
Harry being hurt over the fact Louis probably split his face open, Harry being sad and worried and disappointed in him, because all he ever did was ask him to be safe, he just wanted him to be safe, he just wanted-  
  
"Babe," Zayn's whispering, as the room suddenly spins all around him. "You're fine, it's nothing, it's okay." he's saying, as Louis slowly realizes he's lying onto his side now, cheek pressed to the cold tiles, air flowing in and out, throb in his face slightly diminishing.  
  
"I know." he chokes out. "Help me up." he hisses, but he doesn't even mean it, he doesn't even know if Zayn's lying to him to keep him from panicking, doesn't even know how bad it really is.  
  
"It's nothing." Zayn reassures him, brushing his hair back from his face. Then he takes his jacket off, he balls it up, he slides it under Louis' head.  
  
"At least you had the decency to get hurt inside of a hospital." he hears him say.  
  
It's a bad joke but Louis laughs all the same, regretting it immediately after, as the pain in his jaw instantly starts getting worse.  
  
"Help me up." he tries again, meaning it this time. "I need to throw up."  
  
  


Poor Niall almost dies when he sees him.  
  
Louis did not shed a single tear so far, not even one, but when he looks at that, at the way Niall's pulling at his own hair and gasping and shaking, his chest implodes.  
  
"It's not as bad as it looks." he tries, stumbling towards him, unsure how to comfort him.  
  
Zayn takes over while Louis' still wondering what to do, gently pushing him aside to scoop Niall up into his arms and onto the couch, holding tight onto him, rocking him a bit, until he's able to talk.  
  
"Who-" is all he can blurt out, before he has to stop to catch his breath.  
  
"No one!" Louis immediately reassures him. "I just fell, Niall. It's okay, I'm okay."  
  
Maybe if he didn't wince every time he opened his mouth, he'd be more convincing.  
  
Niall is so pale Louis' expecting him to faint any second.  
  
"What about the baby? Is the baby okay?" he asks him instead, slowly wiggling out of Zayn's grip.  
  
Oh, right. The baby.  
  
Is the baby okay?  
  
"Of course, Niall!" he states. "Baby's safe and sound." he adds, patting his own tummy.  
  
Niall seems to believe him, judging by the way he nods and sighs.  
  
Zayn's giving him a concerned look, but Louis doesn't think about it too much.  
  
He needs to lie down.  
  
  


He does cry, in the end.  
  
To be fair, he cries like a fucking baby.  
  
All tangled up in the covers, all sweaty and sticky with blood, making a mess all over the sheets, rubbing his face in them for so long Harry's scent fades away and now he has nothing left to comfort him.  
  
He can only wait.  
  
  


"He's supposed to be back tomorrow, right?"  
  
Zayn hands him a piece of bread before answering, he waits until Louis starts munching on it.  
  
"I think so, yeah." he finally says. "Which means I'm getting ripped to pieces."  
  
Louis shakes his head, forcing his throat to swallow.  
  
"We won't tell him." he quickly instructs. "I'm just gonna say I fell. Don't worry."  
  
Zayn sighs, rubbing his face with both hands.  
  
"You underestimate him, Louis." he mutters, shaking his head in frustration.  
  
That's not true. Louis knows how smart Harry is, he knows how far his sixth sense can go.  
  
It's not even about their bond.  
  
He just has this thing, maybe in his brain, maybe in his fucking blood, he has this _gift_ , and you can just see it on his face, when he's onto you.  
  
It makes him a great alpha, a good leader.  
  
The worst person to hide a secret from.  
  
"I'll figure something out." Louis says, hiding the rest of the bread under his bum. Chewing is too hard right now. "Keep it together, Zayn."  
  
The beta groans in response.  
  
"I'm not leaving the house." Louis decides. "So no one's gonna give Harry a heart attack as soon as he's back. If someone asks, tell them I'm just waiting for him."  
  
  


He's slowly falling asleep, when the little hairs at the base of his neck suddenly start prickling up.  
  
He shivers, he instinctively hides his face in the covers.  
  
Then he waits.  
  
Every second feels like hours, and all he can do is curl up and breathe, faster and faster, until he hears the door swinging open.  
  
Everything goes silent again and his stomach just drops.  
  
Harry's voice is the next thing he hears, then his growl, muffled and distressed, and his footsteps, quickly thumping on the floor and on the stairs.  
  
He has no idea what he's saying, not until Harry makes it upstairs and "I smell blood." is what it was. "Why do I smell blood? Louis?"  
  
And, of course, Louis' about to cry again.  
  
Of course. Perfect timing.  
  
Harry's all over him before he can blink, frantically moving him around, tearing the covers away from him and inspecting his legs, his stomach, his chest, shirt being pulled up to his face, which is a good thing for now.  
  
But then Harry takes it off, "Where?" he pants. "Show me." he begs him.  
  
Louis' covering his face with his hands, but how long can that work.  
  
He finally gets to look at Harry's face though, only now realizing he's actually here, his alpha is here, which is enough to shake his entire system up, make his chest tighten.  
  
Harry's eyes are wide open, pupils blown.  
  
He gently grabs his wrist and starts pulling it down but Louis fights him, he turns his head away from him.  
  
Harry won't have it.  
  
He firmly grips him by the shoulders, rolling him onto his back, pinning him to the bed and "Show me." he says.  
  
Louis just stares back at him, desperately trying to figure out a way to calm him down before he sees it.  
  
Fuck, there must me something he could do.  
  
But then Harry "Show me." _orders_ , and Louis' hands fall down onto the mattress with no resistance.  
  
He doesn't want to see it, the face Harry's making right now, he can't handle it.  
  
He can barely deal with what he's saying, with the tangled mess of words and growls and whines coming out of his mouth, and if he wasn't gritting his teeth Louis would probably be weeping right now.  
  
He manages to keep it in up until the moment Harry sniffs his jaw, yanks him forwards and into his arms and then he starts gently lapping at the bruise, over and over, and Louis _still can't fucking believe it_ , that it just makes it all go away.  
  
That's when he finally starts sobbing, apologizing, leaning into Harry's touch.  
  
Harry pulls back, he lets out a shaky breath.  
  
"What happened?" he asks. "Look at me." he commands, before "What happened?" repeating.  
  
"I fell." Louis immediately replies, like it's being pulled out of him. "Slipped and fell."  
  
And there it is.  
  
There, inside Harry's eyes, that alert spark that makes Louis' stomach twist in fear.  
  
He knows.  
  
"You slipped and fell." he mutters, as his eyes accurately study the wound. "Split your lip, too." he adds then, leaving a small lick on the cut.  
  
Louis nods.  
  
"I leave for three days," Harry continues, brushing his fringe back with his fingers. "And you hurt yourself."  
  
Louis' made himself tiny, he's breathing so fast he can hear the sound of it filling up the room, he's clenching Harry's T-shirt like his life depends on it.  
  
And Harry knows, Louis can see it in his eyes.  
  
"I knew you were trouble." Harry says then, nuzzling his neck. Louis freezes, lets him inhale and nibble on his skin. "Since I first saw you." Harry tells him, wrapping his arms tighter around him.  
  
It sounds soft and sweet, but Louis feels like he's being scolded.  
  
That's why he shrugs, looking up at him and "Sorry." he whispers.  
  
Harry gives him a suspicious look, right before letting a short, deep growl out.  
  
"You dangerous little thing." he snarls, biting softly at his omega's neck. "Gonna make me lose my mind."  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have questions/comments go ahead! 
> 
> I'd love to know what you guys think <3


	30. The truth comes out eventually

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you really think I'd let this bitch go?
> 
> This fanfiction is my curse, it is, but it's also my baby. I'm not giving up on it.
> 
> Btw, you guys can follow me/contact me on my [TUMBLR](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/smokingluckiesalltheway) if you want <3
> 
> Enjoy the new chapter. <3
> 
>  
> 
>  

"Does it hurt?"  
  
Louis lets out a pained noise, blindly grabbing the covers and lifting them up over his head.  
  
Harry's voice sounds more distant, but Louis can still hear it. Which is a shame, because he's trying to sleep.  
  
" 'm sleeping." he mumbles, squeezing his eyes shut.  
  
He hears Harry snort, feels him pulls at the covers and rip them in half in the process.  
  
"Louis." he scolds him. "Come on."  
  
Louis cracks an eye open, he furiously kicks what's left of the duvet away.  
  
Harry doesn't seem to care much about it.  
  
"I'm okay." Louis grits out, pausing his anger to yawn. "You licked my face enough." he adds, regretting it when he realizes he's probably blushing.  
  
Harry gives him a suspicious look.  
  
"You hate it when I do that." he mocks him, shaking his head. "In fact, if I ever do it again, you're gonna flip." he continues, pulling on Louis' wrists as he speaks. "It's weird and stupid and quite-"  
  
"Disgusting." Louis suggests, settling in his lap, legs curling around Harry's hips.  
  
"It's just nasty." the alpha agrees, scrunching up his nose. "Makes no sense."  
  
Louis bites back a laugh, he rolls his eyes even as he starts leaning closer to him, offering his jaw for Harry to take care of.  
  
"But I guess you just can't help yourself-" he starts saying, losing his train of though as soon as Harry flicks his tongue over the bruise.  
  
He takes a sharp breath and he bites on his lip, legs tightening around Harry's body.  
  
"Don't mind me." Harry casually says, cradling the back of his head as he keeps lapping at the skin. "Leaving in a minute." he adds, just as Louis starts stroking his fingers over his back, subconsciously slumping against him, breathing faster, going limp.  
  
"Good." he mumbles, closing his eyes.  
  
He can tolerate him for one more minute. It's no big deal.

 

 

 

"What do you mean he won't kiss you?" Louis insists, despite Niall's mortified expression. "Have you done what I taught you?"  
  
Niall presses his lips together, he nods.  
  
"Yeah." he says, shrugging. "Not working."  
  
Louis scoffs.  
  
"You must be doing it wrong!" he concludes, pulling on Niall's hands until he gets up from the couch. "Show me, come on."  
  
Niall squeezes his eyes shut for a moment, cheeks going pink, then red, then almost purple, and he breathes out, determined.  
  
"Okay." he decides.  
  
Then he drops his gaze to the floor, he lifts up the corner of his mouth in a little smile, slowly dragging his eyes back up on Louis' face, big and blue and coy.  
  
Just like Louis taught him.  
  
Louis sighs and he starts leaning in, lips getting closer and closer to Niall's mouth.  
  
"Louis, what are you doing?!" Niall huffs out, pushing him away with an embarrassed laugh.  
  
Louis gives him a proud little smile, holding back his own laughter.  
  
"Jesus, Niall. Made me wanna kiss you." he mocks, fanning his face with his hand.  
  
Niall lets out an annoyed noise, but he's wearing a pleased little smirk on his face.  
  
It fades away in a matter of seconds, though.  
  
"Maybe he just doesn't like me." he mutters.  
  
Louis darts forward, he pinches his cheeks, wiggles Niall's head around.  
  
"Nonsense!" he yells, staring into his eyes. "He's been spending a lot of time with you." he reminds him, petting his blonde hair. "Even though Harry's probably gonna murder him, when he finds out. Now you just don't do that, for someone you don't like."  
  
Niall's left cheek is still caught between two of Louis' fingers and he looks in pain, but not too convinced.  
  
"Louis." he sighs. "He's probably doing it for you. You asked him to teach me how to-"  
  
"Do you have any idea how many things I've asked Liam?" Louis shushes him. "If he always said yes, we would have died long ago."  
  
Niall winces, but it's probably because Louis' been squeezing his face for too long.  
  
"Okay." he mumbles, in the end. "Guess I'll have to wait a bit longer."

 

 

 

"So he fell, huh." Nick says, shifting on his feet and slamming the axe into a tree. "That's weird." He continues, twisting and pulling on the handle to get the blade out.  
  
Harry lets out a shaky, irritated breath.  
  
"He did fall." He states, watching Nick curse and wipe the sweat off of his face.  
  
Then he twists his neck to check on him, giving Harry a suspicious look.  
  
"Okay." He resolves, shrugging.  
  
That's not like him, though.  
  
It seems like he's learned his lesson since Harry tried to choke him to death.  
  
That's good news.  
  
Harry sighs.  
  
"I know he didn't fall in the house." He starts over, munching on his bottom lip. " 'cause there weren't any traces of blood."  
  
Nick's eyebrows shoot up.  
  
"Yeah, that's what I thought." He quickly adds, aiming and swinging the axe again. "The truth will come out eventually." He huffs out.  
  
Harry furrows his eyebrows, he kicks at a little pile of damp leaves, he considers biting his tongue.  
  
"What." Nick groans, immediately detecting the shift in his mood. "What are you thinking?"  
  
Harry bites at the inside of his cheeks.  
  
"I'm not sure I wanna find out." He finally spits out. "The situation with my omega has gotten a bit better and I want that to last, at least for a while."  
  
He doesn't know how Louis got injured. But something tells him that it's gonna piss him off.  
  
Nick nods and he hands him the axe.  
  
"Here. Have fun." He tells him, patting his shoulders and walking away.  
  
Harry stands there for a little longer, skin prickling at the change of weather, all of his senses awake and alert.  
  
His thoughts make their way to Louis.  
  
He wonders if he's cold.  
  
He'd better get back before it starts raining.

 

 

The worst thing about this shit," Louis says, pointing to his jaw. "Is that-"  
  
"You can't kiss me?" Harry interrupts him.  
  
Louis rolls onto his tummy, then he leans over the alpha's chest, he shakes his head.  
  
"That I can't suck your big, beautiful cock." he purrs, blinking up at him.  
  
Harry chuckles nervously.  
  
"You act like you hate it all the time." he huffs out, slowly tracing his back with one finger. "And now, suddenly, it's beautiful?"  
  
Louis rolls his eyes, pretending he's not getting wet.  
  
"Shut up." he snorts. "You know I have a huge crush on your cock."  
  
Harry laughs at that, eyes sparkling and squinting.  
  
"What a coincidence!" he replies. "My cock has a huge crush on your bum."  
  
"I know." Louis shoots back, absent mindedly playing with a strand of Harry's hair. "It cuddles my arse every time you spoon me."  
  
"Should we stop keeping them apart?" Harry suggests, slightly pulling on the hair at the base of Louis' neck.  
  
He can smell the slick forming between his butt cheeks, but he won't say anything until Louis acknowledges it.  
  
The omega gives him a perplexed look.  
  
"Something tells me," he starts, batting his eyelashes. "That you're trying to take advantage of me."  
  
Harry raises his eyebrows, then he frowns.  
  
"I would never." he replies, raising his hands up.  
  
"No?" Louis challenges, gently slapping his face. Then he licks his lips and Harry smells it again, another wave of arousal coursing through the omega.  
  
His cock is fattening up into his briefs, but he needs to ignore it, just a little longer.  
  
Louis is climbing on top of him, innocent pout on his face, he's leaning towards him, breathing on his face.  
  
"What if I want you to?" he whispers.  
  
Harry growls before he can stop himself.  
  
He sees the small startled smile flashing on Louis' face.  
  
"You animal." the omega hisses, attempting to growl back at him. It sounds cute, at best. "You-"  
  
"If you call me a dog I'll make you regret it." Harry threatens. "Careful what you say next."  
  
Louis gasps, but he's still smiling, and he lifts himself back up, resting his weight on Harry's crotch this time.  
  
"You have no manners." he complains, fixing his hair, not so subtly bouncing on him. "It takes nothing to make you lose your temper."  
  
"If that were true," Harry argues, rubbing his hands over Louis' thighs. "You'd be face down in a pillow now, getting stuffed by my cock." he continues, squeezing lightly on the delicate flesh.  
  
Louis holds back a little whimper, but Harry hears it dying in his throat.  
  
"You're lucky I can control myself." the alpha informs him, keeping his voice low and firm.  
  
Louis' getting tired of their game but Harry's gonna keep going until he admits it.  
  
"Any other alpha would teach you how to stop running that bitchy mouth of yours," he tells him, trying to ignore the scent that's quickly filling up the room. "Fuck the shit out of you, 'till you learn when to shut up."  
  
Louis lets out an exasperated laugh.  
  
"But you won't, right? You're better than that." he provokes him, pressing down to get a feel of his hard cock.  
  
Harry's lips curve into a smirk.  
  
"See?" he says. "You just don't know when to shut up."  
  
Louis swallows hard, he blinks a few times and then "I really don't." he huffs out, bouncing up and down a couple times before Harry grips his hips to make him stop.  
  
"I'm no animal," the alpha observes, sighing. "So I'm gonna give you another chance."  
  
Louis immediately straightens his back, gush of slick coming out of his hole, making Harry's breath catch in his throat for a moment.  
  
It's pretty clear he has the omega's undivided attention.  
  
So he looks into his eyes, he takes a moment to breathe in his scent.  
  
"If you talk back again," he warns him. "I'm gonna pound that little arse of yours 'till you can't breathe."  
  
Harry knows what's gonna happen next, there's no doubt in his mind.  
  
Just as he thought, Louis flashes his teeth and him and "Beast." snarls.  
  
Harry strips him naked before the omega can blink, then he rolls him under his body, holds both his wrists in one hand.  
  
Louis' already moaning, squirming, getting more aroused by the second.  
  
"You asked for it." Harry hisses, sneaking his other hand between his cheeks, rubbing at his wet hole. "Gonna take it?" he grits out, pushing two fingers inside of him and quickly twisting them around to make sure Louis' ready to take his cock.  
  
"Make me." the omega whimpers, suddenly going pliant underneath him. "Teach me."  
  
Harry lets go of his wrist to take hold of his hips and flip him onto his stomach, then pull him back until he's folded in half, ass up for him.  
  
Then he sees it, his pretty, little, slick hole desperately clenching around nothing, begging for him.  
  
Harry tugs at his briefs and he takes his cock out, immediately lining up with Louis' opening.  
  
"Ask me, baby. I love it when you ask." he instructs, laying a heavy hand on the small of his back.  
  
Louis arches up into it, he whines.  
  
"Come on," the alpha encourages, stroking his own cock to chase some relief. "Be good for me, come on."  
  
Louis' clenching the sheets, arching his back as much as he can, showing himself for him.  
  
Harry smacks his hands against the meaty part of his cheeks, makes him squeal, then he does it again, until Louis "Harry!" cries out.  
  
So he kneads at the reddened flesh, slowly and gently, keeps Louis' face pressed to the bed gripping the back of his neck.  
  
"What is it, baby?" he asks him, giving him another smack, his cock twitching at the obscene sound it makes.  
  
_Fuck me_ Louis mewls, but it's all muffled and rushed, not the way Harry wants to hear it.  
  
So he leans over him, purposefully rubbing his cock against his little hole, he gently pulls on his hair until Louis' face comes into view, all flushed and broken and just _beautiful_.  
  
Harry watches him as he breathes and swallows and rubs his cheek against the pillow, seeking comfort and relief.  
  
He bends down until he can press a kiss to his neck, suckling sweetly and slowly, until he's sure he's left a little mark on him, and Louis finally "Harry," keens. "Want you to fuck me."  
  
He tends to forget what it sounds like, Louis' voice, when it's asking for him.  
  
It hasn't happened often.  
  
Harry often forgets and then it happens and he remembers why it drives him so fucking crazy every single time.  
  
He sinks inside of him with one sharp thrust, teeth still pressed to his neck, pushing until his hips are flush against the swell of his ass.  
  
Louis' frozen in place, legs spread for him, gasping for air underneath him, and all Harry can think about is _filling him up,_ with his knot, his cum, stuff him full 'till he can't move anymore.  
  
Instead he stays still, stuck deep inside of him, 'cause he can feel the way Louis' hole is clenching around his cock and he knows he's about to come, he wants to see it.  
  
It starts slow, with a small whimper, then his eyes snap open, and they look incredible, glossy and unfocused and the prettiest shade of blue. His face twists in a shocked expression, which quickly turns into pure bliss, and he starts coming, moaning softly throughout his orgasm, gently rocking back on Harry's cock.  
  
He just looks so pretty and small and tired and gorgeous, he spreads his legs further, he licks his lips and "Fuck me." he whimpers.  
  
Harry's gonna lose his mind over him.

 

 

"You like him." Louis decides, pointing his little finger at Liam's face. "Make a move, already."

The alpha levels him with a weird look, stuck somewhere between disappointment and irritation.

Louis doesn't care. He shrugs.

"You like him." he reminds him, folding his arms over his chest.

Liam sighs.

"That's not the point." he replies.

Louis' eyebrows jump right up.

So he _does_ like him. Louis wasn't _that_ sure, to be honest.

He lets out a relieved breath.

It seems like teaching Niall how to flirt paid off, in the end.

So now he just needs Liam to listen to him. Everyone would be happier if they just listened to him.

He puts that thought aside, realizing that throwing a punch in Liam's chest is more important now.

The alpha doesn't flinch.

"What are you so afraid of?" Louis challenges, tipping his chin up and squinting his blue eyes at him.

Liam stares back at him, serious, maybe angry, Louis can't really tell.

Then he reaches down to grab his hand and Louis doesn't know what's going on, but he lets him, he even brushes his thumb over Liam's wrist.

"Why won't you do anything?" he asks him, frowning.  
  
Liam is still looking at him. He just looks at him and he doesn't say a word.

Louis takes a deep breath.

"Would you please try to be happy?" he asks him this time, fighting the urge to take a little step, right into his arms, back to where it was safe and warm, where the world ended but Liam was there, he was right there next to him, and that was enough.

He doesn't.

He just keeps looking up at him, eyes going wide as Liam grips tighter on his hand.

"Louis," he whispers. "I won't kiss Niall."

Then he looks away for a moment and for some reason Louis' heart starts pounding in his chest, like it knows something's about to go down.

Louis has no idea what it might be, but he still holds his breath.

Liam finally looks back at him.

"I won't do it." he repeats. "Not until you tell me the baby's not mine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo.
> 
> How's the smut?
> 
> How's the fluff?
> 
> How's that last sentence?!
> 
>  
> 
> Can't wait to know what you guys think <3


	31. Not too late to apologize

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  I am BACK!
> 
> I always say that, don't I?  
> Oh, well.  
> Stop looking at me that way.  
> What, you think it's easy?  
> Dealing with these two fuckers and the rest of the boys and the pack and the fact the world ended?  
> It's not easy. (God, no wonder Harry's so stressed all the time)  
> What I'm trying to say is, I know.  
> It takes me a while to update sometimes (oops, most times) but as I've said before:
> 
> I am NOT giving up on this fic.
> 
> I love it.  
> I'll finish it. Hopefully, I'll make it good.
> 
> Hopefully, you'll be there <3
> 
> Go ahead, enjoy .x
> 
>  
> 
>  

Harry turns around, an insult already stuck in his throat as soon as he meets Nick's gaze, but he holds it back.  
  
"What." he grits out, dropping the axe onto the ground.  
  
People have been interrupting him all day and it's getting harder and harder to get back to what he was doing each time.  
  
He just wants the day to be over and fuck off to bed, that's all.  
  
Nick twists his lips into a weird grin, maybe an apologetic one, then he shrugs and "Keep an eye on your omega." he says.  
  
Harry immediately steps forward, he gets right in Nick's face before he can even think about turning around.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" he hisses, already breathing faster.  
  
Nick raises his eyebrows.  
  
"Come see for yourself."

 

 

 

 

Louis leans against the tree behind him and he barely has enough time to blink, before Liam steps forward.  
  
He's standing in front of him, tall and big and obviously tense, but it just doesn't happen. No matter how close Liam gets to him, Louis never feels threatened by him.  
  
Not even now, with the way he's breathing and staring at him, expecting an answer.  
  
Louis sighs.  
  
"Liam," he starts, rubbing a hand over his forehead, maybe stalling a bit, looking for the right words.  
  
He looks back up at Liam's face, into his brown eyes, and he has to remind himself to forget how much he misses him.  
  
He just breathes in, he stares back at him, and he sees the way Liam's knitting his eyebrows, willing himself to just wait.  
  
"It's not." Louis finally says. "You know it's not."  
  
Liam doesn't even flinch, making Louis wonder if he's supposed to say it again. Has he even heard him?  
  
"How do you know?" Liam asks him instead. "How can you be sure?"  
  
Louis blinks at him, slowly, and he's silently scolding him, but Liam doesn't care. He keeps looking into his eyes, as if he can't really trust his words.  
  
"I went into heat." Louis tells him then. "That makes it pretty clear."  
  
Liam responds with a strange grin.  
  
"Lots of omegas go into heat while being pregnant." he retorts. "It means nothing."  
  
Louis frowns at him.  
  
Since when is he such an expert?  
  
"Liam." he hisses this time. "It doesn't add up." he snaps, squinting his eyes. "It just can't be yours."  
  
"Why not?" Liam presses, leaning closer to him, lowering his voice. "Who knows when it was conceived."  
  
Louis shoves at his chest and Liam promptly jumps back, small startled growl rising up his throat while he does.  
  
"I do." Louis snarls. "It was with Harry."  
  
Liam clenches his jaw as soon as Louis mentions him, he averts his eyes for a moment.  
  
Louis quickly reaches out and pulls on his shirt to catch his attention.  
  
"Listen to me." he urges.  
  
Liam swallows, he licks his lips, and Louis can see it everywhere on his face, how hard he's struggling to control himself.  
  
So he places a hand over his chest, over his heart, and Liam stops breathing for a moment.  
  
Because now he's thinking about it too.  
  
About those nights Louis couldn't fall asleep, couldn't feel safe, when it was still just the two of them, and Louis couldn't trust him, despite everything Liam did for him, Louis couldn't stop thinking about running away.  
  
And yet, feeling Liam's heart beating under his finger tips seemed to be enough to stay one more night.  
  
"Harry bonded me." Louis reminds him. "If the baby wasn't his-"  
  
Liam inhales sharply and a sudden awareness finally seems to dawn on him, hard and heavy.  
  
Louis nods his head.  
  
"At that stage of the pregnancy," he adds, as Liam presses his lips into a firm line. "Getting bonded by another alpha would have meant losing the baby."  
  
Liam lowers his head, but he stays there, close.  
  
"Okay." he chokes out. "Okay." he repeats, breathing in deep. "I just needed to know."  
  
Louis brings his other hand up, he rests it on his face, chest tightening as soon as Liam looks at him again.  
  
But he needs to ask.  
  
He will.  
  
"Do you wish it was yours?"  
  
He's not sure he wants to hear his answer, but he just needed to ask.  
  
Liam shakes his head.  
  
"No." he says, curling his lips into a small smile. "I just wish you didn't have to go through this at all."  
  
Then he wraps his hand around Louis', he keeps it pressed to his cheek, and he's not smiling anymore when "I wish you hadn't lost your freedom." he tells him.  
  
It stings.  
  
Louis' been trying really hard not to think about it that way.  
  
It's not even true.  
  
Is it?  
  
"Harry's not half as bad as you think." he argues, frowning at him. "What makes you think I'm not free?"  
  
Liam's eyes suddenly narrow, because he hears it as soon as it starts, a long whistle travelling through the air, piercing through his ears.  
  
So he slowly lowers his hand, and Louis does the same, he stops touching Liam's face, he presses his back against the tree, helplessly staring as Liam starts stepping back, putting enough distance between the two of them.  
  
Louis had only heard it once before, but it took him half a second to recognize it.  
  
Liam's clenching his fists now, a bitter smile lingering on his lips, and the timing for this couldn't have been more wrong.  
  
Louis swallows thick, he finally turns his head to meet Harry's gaze, heart pounding furiously in his chest, and he wishes he could blame it on anger, but he knows it's actually shame.  
  
Harry's standing there, frozen in place, and he just waits.  
  
He stands there, too distant for Louis to make out his expression, but close enough for Louis' breath to catch in his throat, and he waits until Liam walks away.  
  
He keeps looking at him, he stares at him until Liam disappears among the rest of the pack.  
  
He gives Louis one final look. Then he leaves.  
  
Leaves him wondering if his shame comes from the fact Liam might be right.  
  
But he suspects it's 'cause his alpha felt the need to put him back into his place.  
  
Either way, it sucks.

 

 

 

 

"I'm gonna fight him." Louis states, throwing Zayn's lighter against the wall. "I'm gonna kick him in his stupid face!" he snarls, crumpling the empty pack of cigarettes Zayn hands him. "That'll teach him to fucking _whistle_ at me!" he continues, as Zayn nods his head, giving him permission to smash a bowl to the ground.  
  
"Can you believe it?" Louis yells, even louder than the object crashing into pieces. "He whistled at me, Zayn!" He whines, now pulling on his own hair. "He whistled!"  
  
Zayn nods again, slowly, patiently, he waits until Louis is done punching the couch cushions, then he gently pushes him aside to fix them and he sits down.  
  
"Okay." he sighs. "You're angry."  
  
"I'm so fucking angry!" Louis shrieks, kicking the coffee table this time. "I wanna kill him!"  
  
Zayn shrugs.  
  
"Okay." he starts over. "But before you kill him, consider this."  
  
Louis' panting, he's sweating, he is so fucking mad.  
  
"What." he hisses, crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
Zayn crosses his legs instead, he gives Louis a knowing smile.  
  
"Everyone saw you." he says. "You and Liam."  
  
"Yeah, so what?" Louis provokes him, cocking his head.  
  
Zayn blinks at him, calm, maybe even bored.  
  
"Everyone knows you're Harry's omega, Louis." he reminds him. "We respect him. All of us."  
  
Louis rolls his eyes.  
  
"That is wonderful, Zayn." he spits out, leveling him with a fed up look. "Good for you."  
  
Zayn chuckles, eyes sparkling with amusement.  
  
"I'm just very surprised nobody called you out on that shit." he tells him next, raising his eyebrows.  
  
"Why?" Louis snaps. " 'cause once you're bonded you're not allowed to speak to another human being anymore?"  
  
Then he looks up at the ceiling, crinkles forming near his eyes as he explodes into an exasperated laugh.  
  
"My father would be so proud of me!" he shouts. "Barefoot and pregnant, locked into the house all day, serving my alpha like I'm supposed to."  
  
Zayn shakes his head at him.  
  
"No, Louis. What I'm trying to say is-"  
  
"What, Zayn?!" Louis cuts him off. "What is it you're trying to say?"  
  
"Maybe if you stop bitching." The beta suggests, throwing his feet onto the coffee table.  
  
Louis lets out a furious breath.  
  
"Okay." he mutters. "Speak."  
  
Zayn tilts his head to the side, pleased.  
  
"When you are bonded, you're not supposed to let another alpha stand that close to you." he finally explains. "Especially if they're going to put their hands on you."  
  
Louis opens his mouth to reply, but Zayn's quicker.  
  
"Especially if your alpha isn't there." he presses. "And he doesn't know Liam at all, doesn't know if he can trust him."  
  
Louis clenches his fists.  
  
"I know Liam." he hisses. "I trust him."  
  
Zayn sighs.  
  
"Nobody said anything to you," he insists, getting up from the couch. Louis steps back, but Zayn follows him, he reaches out until he can place both hands on his shoulders, stare right into his eyes. "Because Harry made it clear to all of us."  
  
Louis' heart starts picking up the pace, and he swallows dry before "Made what clear?" asking him.  
  
Zayn smiles.  
  
"That those who disrespect you," he spells out. "Disrespect him, as well."  
  
Louis scoffs.  
  
"Why, 'cause I belong to him?"  
  
Zayn clicks his tongue, disappointed.  
  
"Because he adores you." he clarifies. "You dumb fuck."

 

 

 

 

Harry doesn't yell at him.  
  
Louis sees it.  
  
The tension seeping through him.  
  
He feels it in his bones.  
  
He climbs on top of him the moment Harry lies down and he recognizes the anger in his eyes.  
  
"Don't raise your voice." Louis warns him.  
  
Harry clenches his jaw while staring at him.  
  
He says nothing but Louis can hear it, the noise in his head.  
  
"Stop that." Louis hisses.  
  
Harry swallows thick but he keeps quiet.  
  
Louis hears the confusion in his silence.  
  
"Speak." he grits out, digging his nails into Harry's chest.  
  
Harry breathes out, slow and controlled.  
  
Then he speaks.  
  
"I was thinking about the day we met." he husks.  
  
Louis straightens up, he barely holds back a small gasp.  
  
"You were about to go into heat." Harry continues, gently resting his hands on Louis' thighs. "You were dead tired, but you kept going."  
  
Louis swallows, he focuses on breathing, listening.  
  
"I saw the barn." Harry says, and Louis' skin starts warming up under his touch. "And I wanted you to stop 'cause it was getting dark."  
  
Louis nods, he carefully exhales, too scared Harry's gonna stop talking if he makes a sound.  
  
Harry is still staring at him, when he licks his lips and "So I whistled to make you turn around." tells him.  
  
Louis bites down on his bottom lip.  
  
It feels like years ago. But it's just a little over three months.  
  
Life goes by slowly, when time doesn't matter anymore.  
  
"You got mad at me." Harry laughs. "Said you weren't a poodle."  
  
Louis rolls his eyes, but he quickly brings them back on Harry's face, into his eyes, and they're so deep he sinks for a moment, he almost drowns.  
  
"Guess what I'm trying to say is-" Harry blurts out, slightly digging his fingers into Louis' thighs now. "I'm sorry."  
  
Louis gasps. Out loud this time.  
  
"Are you?" he squeaks. "Really?"  
  
Harry scrunches up his face and "Yeah." he admits.  
  
Louis gives him a suspicious look.  
  
"For whistling at me?"  
  
"Today, yeah."  
  
Is he for fucking real.  
  
Louis shakes his head in disbelief.  
  
"Say I'm not a poodle, then." He pushes him, leaning closer to his face.  
  
Harry barks out a laugh, but he shrugs and "You are not a poodle." he allows.  
  
Louis giggles against his lips.  
  
"Good." he praises. "Now say you're a big, dumb-"  
  
"Do not say-" Harry mutters, pushing him off of himself. "Dog." he concludes, pressing one of his big hands to his chest, pushing him into the mattress hard enough to have Louis whining.  
  
"Not into pet names, huh?" the omega pants, uselessly trying to squirm away from him. "Are you, love?"  
  
Harry clenches his jaw, but his pupils are dilating, his scent is changing.  
  
"Oh." Louis chirps, just as Harry lets him move around a bit, dragging his hand up and around his neck, resting it there, where he can feel Louis' heart hammering against his skin. "Maybe you are, though." Louis wonders. "Aren't you, honey?" he presses, using his knees to try and push him away this time.  
  
Harry knocks them apart instead, he lays on top of him carefully, muscles tense.  
  
"I'm into the way you smell right now." He retorts. "Baby."  
  
Louis can't help a surprised laugh from escaping his mouth.  
  
"How do I smell?" he asks, blinking up at him. "A little horny, yeah?" he admits.  
  
Harry's dimples finally come out, as he leans in to scent him, then he quickly pulls away again, still smiling.  
  
"You smell sweet." he reveals. "Happy, even."  
  
"Not horny?" Louis improvises, determined to ignore the warmth taking over his face.  
  
Harry pretends not to notice it.  
  
He presses his lips to Louis' throat, where his heartbeat is still throbbing, where his scent is stronger, almost overwhelming.  
  
"Yes." he observes. "You're a little horny, too." He mumbles, gently flipping him onto his tummy. "Sweetie."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi <3
> 
> If you guys want to talk about the fic or ask about the plot or updates, you can follow me on
> 
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> [MY TUMBLR](https://smokingluckiesalltheway.tumblr.com)
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> Sooooo?
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> I am exhausted! I spent the last two days trying to get this chapter out of my system.  
> Comfort me!!! ç__ç
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> Bye <3


	32. When you least expect it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An update?!  
> So soon?!  
> Wow.  
> I wasn't expecting that.  
> Wow.
> 
> That was you, reacting to this.  
> (It was me, too)
> 
> Enjoy <3
> 
>  
> 
>  

Louis bumps his foot against Zayn's thigh, looking for his attention.  
  
"Who's that?" he whispers, keeping his eyes trained on the girl approaching them.  
  
Zayn's first response is a little smirk, then he shrugs, he puts out his cigarette on the damp grass and "That's Taylor." he replies, focusing on his book again.  
  
That wasn't very helpful.  
  
Louis was hoping for more information, but he ends up just staring at her, still wondering what she wants as she keeps walking towards him, with what looks like a forced smile on her lips.  
  
When she finally stops right in front of him, Louis tilts his head up, eyebrows raised into a puzzled expression.  
  
He hears Zayn chuckle, flip a page, chuckle again.  
  
"Yes?" Louis says, mirroring her fake smile.  
  
Taylor bends over him, she slowly hands him a plate.  
  
"Harry asked me to give you this." She informs him, as Louis automatically accepts it, curiously peeking inside.  
  
Then he looks back up, at her doll face, and his grin gets wider.  
  
"Thank you." he says, already bringing some food to his mouth.  
  
Harry stacked his plate with meat and bread and potatoes and basically anything he could find, but Louis' not complaining.  
  
To be honest, he can't wait for her to leave so he can shamelessly stuff his face.  
  
Taylor's eyebrows get this weird angle, when she smiles again, like she's kinda thinking about spitting in Louis' face.  
  
Louis can feel himself frown at her.  
  
"You-" he blurts out, swallowing down the piece of bread stuck in his throat. "You want some?" he tries, quickly glancing at Zayn to try and involve him in this.  
  
Whatever this is.  
  
Zayn clears his throat, he flips another page, but he doesn't look at either of them.  
  
Louis turns back around, and Taylor's smile has opened up while he wasn't looking, now her obnoxiously perfect teeth are part of this uncomfortable exchange as well.  
  
"Oh, no." She tells him, shaking her blond hair all over the place. "It's all yours."  
  
Louis shrugs, and he can't stop staring at her while she lets out a delicate giggle, she covers her mouth with one of her pretty hands and "But go easy on the carbs, okay?"  
  
Louis instantly knits his eyebrows.  
  
Then Taylor fixes her frilly dress, smoothing her fingers over her flat stomach, and she does it again, that little giggle that seems to shake all of Louis' nerves up.  
  
" 'cause, you know." she tells him, shrugging her bony shoulders.  
  
No, Louis _does not_ know, he can only imagine what she's implying, and he sure hopes he's wrong.  
  
So he tilts his head and "Excuse me?" he chirps, dropping his smile for good.  
  
Taylor offers him a small pout.  
  
"Well," she says, dragging her icy gaze up and down Louis' body. "You're gonna get really big really soon." she observes, innocently raising her eyebrows. "So." she concludes, and her annoying giggle rings in the air one last time, before she swiftly turns around and starts walking back to where she came from.  
  
Louis confusedly blinks at her, eyes stuck on her tiny figure disappearing into the distance, and he's still trying to figure out what the hell just happened when he hears Zayn's voice.  
  
"Yeah." The beta sighs. "That's Taylor."  
  
Louis bites on the inside of his cheeks and it's not long before it dawns on him.  
  
He does not like Taylor one bit.

 

 

 

 

"I know it's supposed to make us feel safe." Niall's saying, handing Louis a cup of tea.  
  
He's been subtly pouring less and less in it each day, as if Louis wouldn't notice.  
  
"But it'll make everything seem-" he stops, twisting his mouth as he looks for the next thing to say. "Scarier." he finally adds.  
  
Louis' not really listening to him.  
  
"I mean," Niall continues, bringing his cup up to his lips.  
  
Louis bets his cup is filled to the brim.  
  
He snorts.  
  
"If Harry wants to build a fence there must be a reason." Niall observes, shifting on his feet. "He obviously wants to keep something out, right?"  
  
"Yeah." Louis replies, not even trying to fight the irritation taking over him. "Walkers. There's walkers out there, Niall."  
  
Niall's eyes suddenly grow wide.  
  
"Do you think they're getting closer?" he whines, as his hands start shaking around the cup he's holding. "Are we in danger?"  
  
Louis rolls his eyes and "Maybe." he retorts. "Probably."  
  
Niall lets out a little terrified noise.  
  
Louis ignores it though, he places his empty cup on the coffee table, and he might have cracked the base, but that's not what matters now.  
  
"So!" he yells, clapping his hands. "Who the fuck is Taylor?"  
  
Niall quickly straightens up his back and that's enough to have Louis gritting his teeth.  
  
He jumps right up from the couch, chasing Niall around the house and only managing to catch him before he disappears into his bedroom.  
  
"Niall." he hisses, pressing both hands to his face when he tries to look down. "Who's Taylor?" he repeats.  
  
Niall's cheeks are burning under Louis' touch, blood rushing to his face with the way Louis' staring at him.  
  
"Don't ask me." he whines, slumping against the wall. "I don't like it when you get angry."

 

 

 

 

Harry brushes his nose against his jaw, then he goes up his cheek, his forehead, until he can smell the top of his head, soft hair tickling his nostrils.  
  
Louis lets out a little grumpy sound, but he's gone belly up for him, eyes still closed as Harry buries his face into his neck, inhaling his scent, hands finally moving to reach for Harry's chest.  
  
But, instead of pulling him closer, he's pushing him away, eyes slowly blinking open.  
  
"It's me." Harry tells him. "Didn't mean to wake you up." he adds, giving him an apologetic peck.  
  
Louis' still waking up, and he's getting warmer, skin responding to his alpha's presence.  
  
It takes Harry one more minute to realize it's irritation, not tiredness, coursing through his omega, as Louis frowns at him, lets Harry kiss him again while scratching at his chest, caught between the need to have him close and get rid of him.  
  
"What did I do?" Harry mutters, dragging a hand down Louis' tummy to calm him. "Is it me or are you just in a bad mood?"  
  
Louis' keeping his knees pressed together, muscles relaxing only for a moment, when Harry drags his hand back up, but he tenses up again when Harry rests it on his chest, like he's just remembered he's upset.  
  
"I'm in a bad mood." Louis croaks out. Harry's in the middle of a relieved breath when Louis "Because of you." adds.  
  
The alpha gives him a confused look.  
  
"Okay." he sighs. "Why?"  
  
He needs to remind himself Louis is pregnant sometimes, despite the fact they've been successfully avoiding the topic for months.  
  
He needs to replay the conversation he's had with Lily a few times, the one about giving Louis space when he gets defensive, time when he gets irrational, attention when he gets agitated.  
  
He wishes he knew which one it is, this time around.  
  
Because Louis is angry, that much is clear, but he's also subconsciously baring his neck for him, he's stubbornly keeping his legs closed while steadily getting aroused, and he's avoiding Harry's gaze but his smell is clearly calling for him.  
  
Harry wishes he had a manual on how to react properly.  
  
_Mixed signals for dummies_ , or something like that.  
  
"Met an old flame of yours today." Louis informs him, folding his arms over his chest.  
  
Harry leans back, but he's still staring down at him, unable to move any further than this.  
  
"Have you?" he blurts out.  
  
Louis responds with a knowing grin.  
  
"Yeah." he says, calm. "Blonde hair, blue eyes, eighty pounds at most. Does it ring any bells? "  
  
Harry huffs out a nervous laugh.  
  
"Louis." he groans. "You don't even know what you're talking about."  
  
Louis raises his eyebrows at him, and Harry finally moves away from him because he sees it in his eyes, that he's thinking about shoving at his chest.  
  
So he settles on his side of the bed, shifting so he can keep looking at him while "We weren't together." he explains, catching Louis' involuntary smile, probably a pleased one. "Just helped her through her heat." Harry continues, regretting it immediately, with the way Louis glares at him.  
  
"Once." he clarifies. "Like a year ago."  
  
Louis' still wearing that annoyed look, lips pressed together but he "Fine." says.  
  
Then he lets out a long breath and when he looks at him again Harry realizes he's loosening up already, slowly getting closer to him, but not quite sure about it yet.  
  
"Besides," Harry tells him, opening up his arms to make up Louis' mind. "Camille's with Greg now. They're not bonded but they're probably-"  
  
"What." Louis cuts him off, instantly moving away from him again. "Who?" he hisses, narrowing his eyes.  
  
Harry's mouth falls open for a moment but he quickly tries to regain control, heart picking up the pace like it's trying to get in tune with Louis'.  
  
"Oh." Harry realizes, nervously brushing his hair back. "You were talking about Cara, then."  
  
Louis flashes his teeth at him, rolling off the bed now, fists clenched and definitely craving Harry's blood.  
  
"No." He grits out, not even trying to disguise the fury in his voice. "I was not."  
  
The alpha groans, he sighs, he shrugs, mortified.  
  
"Who were you talking about, then?"  
  
Louis tilts his head, shocked, intrigued at the same time.  
  
"I don't know, Harry." He chirps, as his lips curl into a disturbingly sweet smile. "You tell me."

 

 

 

 

So Louis isn't getting any sleep tonight.  
  
He's given up on it without even giving it a shot, because he's learned to recognize it by now and it's definitely it.  
  
That rage that only Harry seems to be able to ignite inside of him, burning hot and relentless and destructive, the one that keeps him from sleeping without fail each time.  
  
Harry, on the other hand.  
  
Harry had _the nerve_ to doze off, after a few attempts to bring Louis closer, to make him talk, even yell at him.  
  
But Louis insisted it was no big deal after all, told him to get some sleep and let go of it, he forced himself to keep his nerves from snapping, because he quickly understood this is not worth his energies.  
  
Louis has no reason to yell at him.  
  
Well, he has no right. He has at least four reasons to yell at him, actually.  
  
Oh, God.  
  
He would love to.  
  
But he just cannot lash out.  
  
He's not stupid, what does Harry think.  
  
Louis is too smart to let Harry get the upper hand, he knows what's going to happen if he accuses him of not telling him about those omegas, - about what a fuck boy he is - he's sure Harry's going to shove the Liam argument right in his face, if he does.  
  
So, yeah, no, he will not scream his lungs out over the fact Harry fucked half of his pack.  
  
Maybe all of it, who the hell knows at this point, but it doesn't matter.  
  
He turns around, yanking on the covers as soon as Harry starts snoring softly, and the alpha goes quiet again.  
  
He'd better be quiet.  
  
Louis' not getting any sleep, no doubts about that, but he just cannot deal with him right now, so he'd better stay still, he'd better not touch him, he'd better keep his damn mouth shut.  
  
He's still thinking about it though, about the fact Harry got all flustered and his brain messed up, making him forget Taylor's name for a moment, and calling her _Kendall_ instead.  
  
Louis is still fuming, wondering who the hell Kendall is.  
  
Also, who the fuck are Cara and Camille, _who the fuck is Harry_.  
  
"You're a fuck boy, that's what." Louis grumbles, shifting again to lie on his back. "Big horny dog."  
  
Then his heart skips a beat, or maybe ten, because Harry suddenly tenses up and inhales sharply, he lets out a deep growl, he quickly sits up.  
  
Louis' eyes grow wide, and he slowly sinks deeper into the mattress, slides under the covers, staring at Harry as his breath gets ragged, his nostrils flare.  
  
Jesus Christ, did he actually hear that in his fucking sleep?!  
  
Louis holds back a stressed whine, gritting his teeth to keep it from slipping out, deciding that he's gonna deny it till he dies.  
  
Yes, he's going to tell him he must have dreamt it and Harry's gonna feel stupid and he's gonna go back to sleep and Louis' gonna go back to hating him.  
  
Sounds like a good plan.  
  
But Harry's a bundle of nerves, biceps twitching, chest heaving, scent getting strong and aggressive.  
  
When he jumps off the bed Louis finally loses control on his vocal chords, and that whine escapes his mouth, high-pitched and pathetic, just as he thought it would sound.  
  
Harry clenches his fists, knuckles gone white with his tension, and he turns to look at him.  
  
"I heard shots." he husks. "In the forest."  
  
Louis' immediately hit by a wave of panic, and it's not fair, this is Harry's anxiety and he shouldn't have to deal with that too.  
  
"Are you sure?" he blurts out, getting up as well.  
  
Harry darts towards the window, sticking his head out to sniff at the air, before turning around and retrieving his pants, slipping in them as Louis confusedly blinks at him.  
  
"Stay here." Harry commands, putting on his T-shirt. Then he shifts closer and Louis lets out a small gasp, quickly stepping back and looking up at him, until Harry has him pressed to the wall, staring right into his eyes.  
  
Louis' teeth dig into his bottom lip with the way Harry's looking at him, with the way his pupils are swallowing up most of the green in his eyes.  
  
When Harry speaks again, his tone is low, gravelly, it won't take no for an answer.  
  
"Do not move." he tells him. "Lock yourself in." he instructs, pulling on Louis' wrist to get him to move, because he can't do it on his own, not right now, not with the way Harry's scent has changed.  
  
Harry drags him downstairs and Louis' still frozen, leaning against the wall, helplessly staring at Harry while he rummages through the cabinets and the drawers, until he's moving, unbearably fast, and standing in front of him again.  
  
Louis holds his breath, but he looks back at him.  
  
"Here." Harry whispers. "Take this."  
  
Louis does take it, even though he doesn't know what it is, he just sticks his hands out for him, eyes still caught in Harry's feral gaze.  
  
"Do not open the door." Harry says, lowering his voice again, hitting that note that makes Louis' heart pump buckets of blood up his veins. "You stay here." Harry reminds him, gripping his jaw now, getting closer. "You wait for me." He orders, breathing against his lips.  
  
Louis can only nod frantically, words tangled up in his throat, and he darts forward before he can realize what he's doing, pressing his lips to Harry's mouth, hands gripping on what Harry's given him, mind getting fuzzier when Harry holds him tight, licks into his mouth, then abruptly breaks away.  
  
He gives Louis one final look, and Louis instantly gets it, something inside of him does.  
  
He's not leaving the house.  
  
He's staying right there, locked in, waiting for Harry to be back.  
  
"Okay." Harry breathes, bending over him to press his lips to Louis' forehead, his hands to his sides. "Be right back."  
  
The door slams closed before Louis can even try and stop him.  
  
He stands there, petrified, breath slipping even further out of control.  
  
Then Harry's voice shakes him out of it, because he "Lock the door." tells him from the outside.  
  
Louis jumps up, he darts to the door, he locks it.  
  
He moves again, stumbling towards the window, his legs finally giving out, so he ends up slumped against the couch, eyes wide open, still looking for him.  
  
He sees him, for a split second, right before Harry disappears behind the trees, into the night.  
  
And Louis just stays there, heart banging furiously against his ribcage, mouth dry, limbs sore, ears ringing, and he tries to breathe, he wills himself to snap out of it and, eventually, he does.  
  
It takes him a while, but he does.  
  
His muscles start relaxing and he feels it again, the heavy object he's been holding in his hands, so he looks down at it.  
  
He can't help a small gasp from escaping his mouth, then.  
  
Because now he sees it. He sees that, before he left, Harry gave him his gun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So?
> 
> SO?
> 
> What do you guys think?! <3


	33. This close to losing it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii <3
> 
> I've been thinking about this fic (a lot) and it's slowly coming together, I think.
> 
> Soon you'll learn more things about the main characters. 
> 
> Can't wait <3
> 
> Also... Harry and Louis are so. Ugh. Right?
> 
> Enjoy <3
> 
>  
> 
>  

Louis' still holding the gun when Harry locks the door from the inside.  
  
He's got dark circles under his eyes, his hands start shaking when Harry shuffles closer, crouches down in front of him, pries his fingers off the weapon.  
  
"I'm okay." he reassures him, as Louis' eyes settle of the blood stain drenching his shirt. "Just a scratch."  
  
Louis' head snaps up to find Harry's eyes and the alpha stares right back at him, breathing slow.  
  
"Took care of it already." Harry presses, letting Louis peek under the worn out fabric. "See?"  
  
Louis furrows his brow, inspecting the small wound on Harry's stomach, automatically leaning closer to it before the alpha stops him.  
  
"You've been here the whole time, yeah?" He asks him, tentatively brushing the palms of his hands over Louis' thighs, trying to get him to unfold his legs.  
  
The omega only reacts after a few seconds, when Harry forces his feet back onto the floor and his face into the crook of his neck, carefully holding him until Louis wraps his arms around him, nuzzling at the warm skin.  
  
"What was it?" he finally asks, looking up at him. "Walkers?"  
  
Harry presses his lips into a firm line, before nodding his head.  
  
"How many?" Louis continues, making himself smaller into Harry's arms, breathing him in.  
  
Harry's doing it too, clinging to him while he buries his nose into Louis' hair and inhales deep, body still warm and electric, tense with adrenaline.  
  
Louis forgets to ask again, closing his eyes and letting Harry scent him, make sure he's okay, subconsciously pulling him down from the couch and onto the floor, arms still keeping him in place.  
  
Louis feels it running through his own blood stream before Harry even tells him, heart pounding in his chest, body going limp and willing into Harry's hands.  
  
Louis' already reaching out to touch him when Harry "Louis," tells him, voice breaking and dropping. "Get on all fours."  
  
Louis startles but he does, with no hesitation, he quickly turns around, he throws his arms over the couch cushions, gripping at them when Harry yanks his sweats down, just enough to have his ass exposed, and Louis' already arching his back for him, moving his hips, getting wet and hot and ready for his alpha to take him, silently calling for him.  
  
Harry needs him now and Louis just knows, it just makes sense, because when Harry sinks inside of him his muscles suddenly untangle, his skin feels more comfortable, his blood seems to run faster through his veins.  
  
Harry can't find a rhythm, he just snaps his hips forward and he stills, he lifts Louis' shirt up to press himself to his back, graze his teeth over his shoulder blades, rest his forehead against him, skin burning hot.  
  
Louis' too tired to help him, he can barely hold himself up and breathe, wait for Harry to find a way.  
  
The alpha draws back and he pushes back inside, "I'm sorry." he tells him, smoothing a shaky hand up Louis' back, bending over him to keep him warm.  
  
Louis manages to push himself up and leans back against him, he twists his neck to find his mouth, kiss him, let him know it's fine, he's okay, and Harry finally starts sliding in and out of him, an arm wrapped around him to keep him still and close.  
  
Louis can smell his blood, his sweat, his _need_ , so he just breathes him in, he takes him in, he kisses him until Harry knows it too, until the adrenaline shooting through him slowly simmers down and he knows that everything's okay.

 

 

 

Louis can't stop staring at him.  
  
He squints his eyes when the pack gathers closer around him, Zayn's voice sounding more distant for the time it takes him to find Harry's face again.  
  
Louis shrugs, giving up on trying to hear Harry's words from afar.  
  
He finally spares Zayn a glance and "I don't know." he tells him. "It was different this time."  
  
"In a good way?"  
  
Louis munches on his bottom lip for a while.  
  
"I guess." he mumbles, grabbing handfuls of grass to keep himself focused. His thoughts have been going back to what happened in the morning and he needs it to stop.  
  
"I just went with it. Freaked me out a little bit." He explains, keeping his voice down in fear that Harry will somehow hear everything he's saying.  
  
When Louis manages to turn around again he slowly recognizes the apprehension in Zayn's eyes.  
  
"No, I mean-" He stutters, shaking his head. "I wanted it too." he clarifies.  
  
Zayn's face relaxes a little, he nods.  
  
"So you felt like it was stronger than you, in a way?"  
  
"Than both of us." Louis quickly replies, making sense of it thanks to Zayn's words, finally making some sense of it. "For a second there, I even thought-"  
  
Zayn's head snaps up.  
  
"What?" he encourages, gently nudging his arm.  
  
Louis can't say that out loud.  
  
He swallows thick, he tries to clear his throat, but that lump stays right there.  
  
His eyes are looking for Harry again, can't stop looking for him, and they both can hear him now, because everyone around him fell silent.  
  
"You have no reason to be scared." he's saying, gesturing carefully, probably hoping that appearing calm will have a soothing effect on his pack as well.  
  
Louis can feel the tension dropping.  
  
He wonders how Harry does it.  
  
"Trust me." he's saying, voice firm. "I'm going to take care of it."  
  
Louis can see dozens of heads nodding.  
  
He wonders if Harry's lying.  
  
"As soon as I leave, you lock your doors-"  
  
"About what?" Zayn tries again, resting a hand over his shoulder.  
  
Louis sighs.  
  
He turns to look at him again, and Zayn gives him a little reassuring smile, but that won't make him say it out loud.  
  
It even sounds unreal in his own head.  
  
_For a second there, I even thought I'd take his knot_.  
  
"Never mind." Louis whispers, tilting his head up when Niall starts making his way to them.  
  
Zayn lets him settle between his arms, he dives a hand into his hair as soon as Niall starts speaking, all rushed and scared and muffled by Zayn's leather jacket.  
  
"I don't want to be on my own." he whines, blue eyes growing wide even as Zayn tries to shush him, hands carefully brushing over his back.  
  
Louis stops looking at him when he hears the crowd moving, eyes quickly finding him again, electricity shooting through his spine when he finally meets Harry's gaze and the alpha tilts his head, he "Come here." mouths.  
  
Louis frowns at him, he tries to ignore the pressure weighing down on his stomach as he shakes his head.  
  
Harry smiles at him in response, a little indulgent smirk that has Louis smiling back despite everything, then laughing when Harry decisively shows him his middle finger.  
  
He still can't stop staring at him, only managing to turn towards Zayn and Niall once Nick pulls on Harry's arm, stealing his attention away from him.

 

 

 

"Stop freaking out." Nick repeats for the hundredth time that day, snatching the axe out of Harry's hands.  
  
Harry shoots him a incensed look.  
  
"I am not." he states, pressing his boot to the tree, like it's going to give it the final push.  
  
Nick laughs at him.  
  
"You're this close to pulling a Britney." he points out, hiding the axe behind his back when Harry fixes his eyes on it.  
  
"What the hell does that mean?" he grits out, absent mindedly biting on his nails.  
  
Nick's lips curl into an amused smile.  
  
"Completely losing your shit and shaving your head." He casually explains. "This close."  
  
Harry lets out an enraged sigh.  
  
"I am not freaking out." he repeats. "Give me the axe."  
  
Nick jumps back, clicking his tongue.  
  
"Go home." he suggests, instead. "You're basically sleep walking."  
  
"Give me the axe, Nicholas." Harry commands, reaching his hand out to him. "Now."  
  
Nick shakes his head at him, looking extremely serious, even concerned, when he "Don't make me spank you, Harold." admonishes him. "Time for you nap, come on."  
  
Harry's so taken aback he doesn't even punch him.  
  
Nick sees it, he's ready to take advantage of it.  
  
"You can't build the fence in one day." he reminds him, sounding too reasonable for Harry to argue with him. "And you'll be useless tonight, if you're dead tired."  
  
Harry presses his lips together, determination steadily leaving his body with every word coming out of Nick's mouth.  
  
"What about your omega?" Nick presses, pouting at him.  
  
Harry shoots him a warning look.  
  
_Be careful_ , it says.  
  
Nick hears it.  
  
"Are you going to leave him alone all day," he spells out, knitting his eyebrows. "And all night? That's going to make him feel neglected, isn't it?"  
  
Harry opens his mouth to defend himself, but only an exhausted _damn you_ comes out of it.  
  
It takes him ten more seconds to give up, spin on his heel and make his way back to the village.  
  
To his cabin.  
  
To Louis.

 

 

 

Louis rolls his eyes, as Harry pulls him closer.  
  
"Not happening." he informs him.  
  
Harry snorts.  
  
"Then stop getting wet."  
  
Louis bites hard on Harry's shoulder, his little teeth mercilessly sinking into the warm flesh until he reckons he's had enough and "It's not my fault." he grunts. "I'm choking on your disgusting pheromones."  
  
The alpha huffs out a weak laugh.  
  
"Sleep." Louis hisses, pressing his hands to Harry's eyelids. "Enough."  
  
Louis sees the dangerous smile stretching across his face and he immediately withdraws his hands, he tries to roll to the other side of the bed, but Harry's already caught him.  
  
"You smell so good." he's telling him, while he lies on top of him, effortlessly trapping him between the mattress and himself. "How do you expect me to-"  
  
"Get off me!" Louis shrieks, attempting to turn onto his back to shove at him.  
  
Harry lets him.  
  
Lets him turn around, shove at his chest, bite on his arm, dig his heels into his back, stick his elbows into his ribs, until Louis "Harry!" cries, giving up and folding his arms over his chest, pretty flush spreading over his cheeks.  
  
He looks furious and Harry can't stop smiling down at him.  
  
"Okay." he sighs, ducking his head to steal a kiss Louis does not grant him. "Tonight, then?"  
  
Louis turns his head to the other side, anywhere but Harry's face and "No." he grunts.  
  
Harry's eyelids feel heavy and sticky with sleep, but he keeps his eyes open, steady on Louis' face, until he "I don't know." shrugs.  
  
Harry's positively falling asleep, mind going hazy, limbs relaxing, but he stays right there, above him, until Louis finally brings his eyes into his, he bites back a smile and "Maybe." he spits out.  
  
Harry lets out a victorious laugh.  
  
Now he can sleep.

 

 

 

"I'm leaving." Harry whispers, lifting up the covers and tucking Louis back in. "I'll probably see you in the morning."  
  
Louis' eyes snap open.  
  
"What?!" He croaks out. "You're leaving already?"  
  
Harry lets out a distressed sigh.  
  
"It's getting dark." He explains, with a little apologetic shrug. "They're waiting for me."  
  
Louis' mouth drops open.  
  
Has he slept through the whole afternoon?  
  
"Why didn't you wake me up?" he whines, kicking at the covers. "I won't be able to sleep tonight."  
  
Harry bites on his bottom lip, he reaches out to touch his face but Louis flashes his teeth at him.  
  
"Tell Niall to come over." he hisses, finally managing to stick his hands out and slamming them against the mattress.  
  
Harry tilts his head, he frowns.  
  
"What is this?" he questions, readily pinning Louis down to the bed when he tries to slap him. "What's with you?"  
  
The omega digs his nails into his arm, breath getting faster now, eyes narrowing.  
  
Then Harry gets it.  
  
He "Oh." blurts out, raising his eyebrows. "Oh, I see."  
  
Louis chokes on his spit, he scratches on Harry's wrist until the alpha chuckles and withdraws his arm.  
  
"Shut up." he grunts, but Harry's already "You thought we'd have a little time before I left," mocking him, with an irritating pout on his lips. "That's why you're all grumpy, huh."  
  
Louis averts his gaze, cheeks burning with anger, then he lets out an exasperated breath and he quickly brings his eyes back on Harry's face.  
  
"Tell Niall to come here." he repeats, gritting his teeth.  
  
"Everyone's locked in already." Harry calmly explains, leaning closer to brush his fringe away from his furious eyes.  
  
Louis huffs out a laugh, he sits up.  
  
"Then tell Niall to open the door," he simply instructs, stretching his lips into a bitter smile, with a strange tone that instantly makes Harry feel like a clueless three year old. "So he can come over."  
  
The alpha shakes his head at him, he sighs.  
  
"Okay." he allows. "I will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh.
> 
> Right?
> 
> I hate them.


	34. You are my honey bee

Harry finds them all curled up on the couch, definitely uncomfortable, both of them, and probably cold, judging by the way Niall's pressed to Louis' side as he sleeps.  
  
Harry can't keep a smile from stretching his lips.  
  
He leaves his key on the kitchen counter, he puts his gun in the bottom drawer and he finally gets closer to them.  
  
Louis opens his eyes as soon as Harry reaches out to touch him, he rests his cheeks on top of Niall's head, looking up at him with stunning, sleepy eyes.  
  
Then he looks down, letting them travel over Harry's body, he licks his lips, and when he finally looks back at his face, Harry realizes it.  
  
Niall needs to go.  
  
Louis purses his lips but Harry momentarily ignores him. If he kisses him right now, it won't end well.  
  
Niall needs to go, first.  
  
So he gently pulls on his arm and the omega slowly blinks his eyes open, he rubs his face against Louis' shoulder while trying to wake up, subconsciously chasing warmth.  
  
Harry clears his throat.  
  
"Want me to walk you home, Niall?" he whispers.  
  
Niall lets out a little yawn and Louis "You can stay, if you want." tells him instead, shooting Harry a challenging look.  
  
Harry snorts.  
  
"Of course." he mutters, making an effort to smile once Niall glances up at him. "But I think he'd rather sleep in his bed. This couch is way too small, isn't it?" he presses, offering Niall his hand.  
  
Louis giggles, he kisses Niall's cheek, then he pulls away from him, his blue eyes still stuck on Harry's face.  
  
"Okay." Niall mumbles, as Harry grabs his wrists and helps him up. "Bye, Louis." he adds, offering him a tired smile from over his shoulder.  
  
Louis slumps back against the couch cushions and he watches them head to the door, he sees the way Harry's basically pushing Niall out of the cabin, trying so hard to be gentle, one big hand pressed to his shoulder to guide him, and Louis also catches the way Harry looks at him, before stepping outside.  
  
He chuckles, he stretches his sore limbs, he talks himself into getting up.  
  
Then he sees another thing.  
  
Harry left his key on the counter.

 

 

 

Harry smoothes a hand down Niall's back as the omega steps inside his cabin.  
  
"Lock the door, okay?" He tells him. "Don't forget."  
  
The omega hums and Harry steps back, waiting patiently for the sound of the key twisting inside the lock, before spinning on his heels and rushing back.  
  
Louis' waiting for him, looking at him through the window, sly little smile on his lips, and that's enough to make Harry stop dead in his tracks.  
  
Then Louis huffs out a laugh, Harry hears it from the other side of the glass, and he lifts his hand up, showing him the shiny object held between two of his fingers.  
  
Louis pouts at him, he taps Harry's key against the window and "Now what?" he mouths, raising his eyebrows.  
  
Harry bites on his bottom lip.  
  
"Louis." he mutters, splaying his hands on the exterior wall.  
  
Louis kneels on the couch, getting even closer to the window, and Harry can _smell him_ , he can feel his arousal seeping through the walls.  
  
Then his eyes get stuck on Louis' mouth, on his pretty lips, on the way he's exhaling against the glass, he can see his breath spreading through the surface, his face becoming blurry behind it.  
  
Then he sees the tip of Louis' finger pressed onto it, he hears the squeaky, wet sound it makes, as it slips up and down and in circles, and Harry just follows it, mesmerized, and he only understands what it is when Louis bursts into laughter again.  
  
Harry drops his head down, he breathes in.  
  
When he looks back up he can see Louis' smile in fragments, through the cock he's drawn into the condensation, and he "Open the door." sighs.  
  
Louis hears him, but he acts like he doesn't.  
  
He drags his hand across the window and his face comes back into focus, flushed and mischievous, he corks an eyebrow and "What?" he yells, pushing himself off the couch and further away from him.  
  
Harry's nostrils flare and his nails start digging into the logs as he realizes what Louis' doing, he wills himself to keep quiet as Louis begins lifting his shirt up, exposing his tummy, and it's not easy, keeping quiet, when Louis' swaying his hips like that, and Harry's mouth suddenly gets warm and watery, his breath catches in his throat and Louis just keeps teasing him, smiling at him in a way that makes his cock throb in his jeans.  
  
It's _impossible_ to keep quiet, once Louis holds his shirt up with both hands for him, showing him his pretty nipples, Harry just can't keep an exasperated growl from escaping his throat, and he sees the way Louis flinches, dropping his shirt back down.  
  
Harry flashes his teeth at him, hands pressed to the window now, and "Open." he grits out, willing himself to stay as calm as he can, even as Louis shakes his head no, because he can't risk one of his alphas hearing him growl and checking on him, can't have them near Louis, close enough to see him, smell him, _want him_.  
  
So he takes a deep breath, he decides he's going to cool off, he realizes that he'd better stop giving Louis all of this attention, because it's clearly making it worse.  
  
It's the only thing he can do, so he should really do that.  
  
If Louis wants to play, that's fine. Harry's just going to wait until he gets tired of it.  
  
If Louis wants to punish him, that's fine too. Harry's going to make up for it the moment he manages to put his hands on him.  
  
The important thing is staying calm.  
  
"Open the door." he hisses instead, slamming his hand against the glass. "Open."  
  
Louis startles, he chuckles nervously, but "Forget it." he retorts, throwing himself onto the couch and into Harry's face.  
  
Harry whines, he presses his forehead to the window for a moment, catching his breath, painfully aware of how wet Louis is getting, how much fun he's having, despite Harry's pain.  
  
Then he lifts his head back up, he meets Louis' alert gaze.  
  
"You hear me?" he asks.  
  
Louis shrugs, he narrows his eyes.  
  
"I know you can hear me." Harry informs him, catching the little grin Louis tries to hide from him. He can't help smiling back at him for a moment, eyes locked together.  
  
"I'm gonna break in." Harry threatens, tapping his fingers against the cold glass.  
  
He hears Louis' little excited squeal.  
  
"Gonna smash it." he explains, keeping his voice low enough for Louis to shiver. "And I'm gonna catch you."  
  
Louis lets out a shaky breath.  
  
"And then what?" He questions, tilting his head.  
  
Harry lets out a distressed laugh.  
  
"You'll find out soon." He says, breathing heavy. "Step away from the window."  
  
Louis gasps and he quickly straightens his back, eyes fixed on Harry's face, looking for clues, trying to determine his true intentions.  
  
Harry smiles at him, but it's more of a warning, teeth exposed and upper lip curled up, and he nods his head, because he is going to do it if louis doesn't give up.  
  
Well, he isn't. But Louis has no idea, so it still counts.  
  
It seems to work, because "Fine!" Louis snarls, high-pitched and anxious. He smells so good, Harry might actually smash the window to get his hands on him, if he doesn't hurry up.  
  
"Chill!" Louis shrieks, pushing back a smile.  
  
Then he fixes his hair, he pulls up his sweats, he takes his sweet time to actually start moving, but Harry's steady gaze is enough to give him the final push.  
  
So he raises his hands up, with an excited little grin on his lips, and he heads to the door.

 

 

 

"Are you actually relaxed," Louis asks, tracing Harry's stomach with one finger, smearing his semen around just a bit before the alpha asks him to stop, laughing.  
  
"Or are you faking it?" Louis adds, corking an eyebrow.  
  
Harry seems to think about it for a moment, his swollen bottom lip caught in his teeth, then he sighs.  
  
"A little bit of both." he admits, tensing up.  
  
Louis presses his body against him, still warm and sore for what Harry's done to him - so that's how Harry gets, when Louis pushes him around a bit - and he reaches up to stroke his fingers against his clenched jaw.  
  
"Have you found more?" he asks, waiting for Harry to look back at him.  
  
But he doesn't.  
  
He keeps his gaze stuck to the ceiling instead, green eyes wide open and beautiful and clearly hiding something from him.  
  
"I don't want you to worry about that." is his answer.  
  
Louis bites gently on his shoulder, but Harry still won't look at him, as if Louis might find out what's going on the moment he stares directly into his eyes.  
  
"I'm not worrying about the walkers." Louis tells him, curling up a little, to steal some of his warmth.  
  
_I'm worrying about you_.  
  
"Then what?" Harry sighs, blinking slowly at the ceiling.  
  
Louis rubs his nose against his arm, he breathes his frustration in.  
  
_I'm worrying about you_ , is still what he wants to say.  
  
"What?" Harry presses, folding his arms under his head.  
  
Louis shrugs, even though Harry can't see that, he rests his hand over the alpha's chest, and he lets his eyes fall closed.

 

 

 

Niall crosses his legs, he patiently waits for Louis to stop looking at the pictures and flip the page.  
  
"What's the next question?" he asks, clapping excitedly.  
  
Louis hums.  
  
"Does he flirt with you?" he reads, as a knowing smile appears on his face.  
  
"Yes, but fails." He continues, counting the options on his fingers. "Kind of? I don't know, we're friends." He adds, letting out a little scoff. "No." he wraps up, laying the magazine across his lap.  
  
Niall seems confused.  
  
He shrugs, he bites at his lips.  
  
"Oh, Niall, come on!" Louis shouts, shoving his foot into his thigh. "You know this one."  
  
Niall lets out a little reluctant whine.  
  
"Seriously?" Louis laughs. " _I've seen him_ flirt with you."  
  
Niall suppresses a pleased smile but "No, you haven't." he argues. "He doesn't." he presses. "You can't be sure."  
  
Louis shoots him a disappointed look.  
  
"He's got that stupid grin on his face all the time, when he's around you." he points out. "And he speaks in that pathetic voice, the one people use with babies, and kittens and stuffed animals."  
  
Niall barks out a little delighted laugh, but he stubbornly shakes his head.  
  
"I'm gonna go with," he hesitates, averting his eyes. "The second one."  
  
"Fine." Louis grits out, scribbling his score to the side. Then he shakes his head at him and "When he is around, what do you feel like?" he reads, swallowing down a bad joke.  
  
Niall's already glaring at him, like he can see it in his eyes.  
  
"Read the answers." He grunts.  
  
"Happy, excited." Louis obeys. "Normal." he continues, giggling. "What does _normal_ even mean?" and, finally, "Nervous, scared." he says, raising his eyebrows.  
  
Niall's trying to hide his grin behind the sleeve of his jumper.  
  
"First one." He mutters, dropping his gaze to the floor.  
  
"No, wait." Louis stops him. "There's another option."  
  
Niall furrows his eyebrows.  
  
"No, there's not." He spells out.  
  
Louis ignores him, he lifts the magazine up to his face, making sure Niall can't see the quiz anymore, and "I get all horny and wet-"  
  
"Louis!" Niall shrieks, throwing him a pillow.  
  
"And I start picturing us naked," Louis goes on, promptly kicking away the second pillow Niall tries to hit him with. "Rolling all over the floor, bodies getting hot and sweaty, his strong hands gripping my-"  
  
"Louis, enough!" Niall screams, tearing the magazine out of his hands and smacking it on his forehead until Louis goes quiet.  
  
"Oh." he blurts out, blinking at him. "Turning to violence to get your way, huh, Niall?"  
  
The omega snorts, he plops down onto the couch again.  
  
"Your turn." He hisses, flipping the page so hard it tears in the middle. He doesn't even care about the results, at this point.  
  
"This one looks interesting." he says, sly smile on his pink lips.  
  
Louis immediately knits his eyebrows.  
  
"Does your alpha know you?" Niall sings, snatching the pen out of Louis' hand.  
  
"Harry and I have known each other for three months." Louis grits out, shifting on his armchair. "He can barely remember my name."  
  
Niall ignores him, he slams his finger onto the page and "When you feel down," he begins. "Does he know how to comfort you?"  
  
"No." Louis immediately retorts, crossing his arms. "Next."  
  
Niall shrugs and "Does he understand when you want to be kissed"? he asks, raising an eyebrow.  
  
Louis rolls his eyes.  
  
"We don't even kiss that much." he grumbles. "And I'm the one initiating it, most times. So, no." He concludes. "Next."  
  
Niall gives him a puzzled look.  
  
"We can stop if-"  
  
" _Next_." Louis repeats, squinting his eyes at him.  
  
Niall lets out a little giggle but he complies.  
  
"Does he remember your birthday?" Niall reads, eyes going wide. "When's your birthday, Lou?"  
  
Louis presses his lips together.  
  
"I never told him." he ignores him. "Next."  
  
"Mine's in a week." Niall beams. "Turning twenty-three."  
  
Louis' shoulders relax at that and he accidentally smiles back at him.  
  
"Gotta get you a present, then." he observes, instantly worrying about it. What the hell is he going to get him?  
  
It's not like he can make a quick trip to the mall.  
  
Niall chuckles, his eyes drop down again.  
  
"Does he know your shoe size?"  
  
Louis' gaze darts to the floor, to his new white Converse, the ones Harry gave him a week ago.  
  
"I-" he stutters, as the sudden realization dawns on him. "Yeah. Guess he does."  
  
Niall lets out a satisfied laugh, "Ah!" he exclaims, scribbling onto the page. "Finally."  
  
Louis curls his toes, he bites on the inside of his cheeks as Niall reads the last question.  
  
"Is he able to-" he starts, choking in the middle of the sentence.  
  
Louis frowns at him.  
  
"What?" he asks him, leaning closer to peek at the quiz.  
  
Niall coughs a little, he hands him the magazine.  
  
Louis' eyes quickly find the last question and he can't help but laugh at Niall's reaction.  
  
He wants more of it.  
  
So "Can't see shit without my glasses." he lies, shoving the magazine back into his hands. "You read it for me."  
  
Niall snorts, but he "Is he able to give your an orgasm every time you have sex?" blurts out, all in a rush, before he changes his mind again.  
  
Louis tips his head back, letting his laughter get the best of him for a moment, but he manages to stop as soon as he hears Niall's embarrassed whine.  
  
Louis licks his lips, he rolls his eyes at himself, before "Yes." answering. "He is." he admits.  
  
Niall perks up at that.  
  
"Every time?" he croaks out.  
  
Louis stretches himself out, kicking the magazine right out of Niall's grip.  
  
"Every time." he grunts. "He's good."  
  
Niall wants to know more, Louis can see it all over his red cheeks, but he refrains from pushing him.  
  
"Let's do the hair thing." he suggests instead, jumping up from his chair.

 

 

 

They're awake this time.

They fall completely silent as soon as Harry sticks his key into the lock and Harry sees Niall hiding something behind his back as soon as he enters the cabin.

"Playtime's over." he announces, stretching his arms above his head and cracking a bone or two in his neck in the process. "Time for bed, children."

Louis jumps up from the couch, and Harry sees that too, despite his effort to distract him, sees that Niall's sticking that same something deep between two cushions.

He makes a mental note to check on it, tomorrow.

"But it's not even a school night." Louis whines, taking tiny steps towards him, like he's not really sure about what he wants to do.

Harry makes the decision for him, closing the gap separating them with one single step, hands wrapping around his hips.

The omega offers him a furious look, but he barely tries to get out of his grip as Harry pulls him even closer.

"I'm about to pass out." the alpha calmly informs him. "I need to go to bed."

Louis rolls his eyes at him, he glances at Niall from over his shoulder, then he brings his gaze back on Harry's pale face.

"Let go of me." he hisses, contradicting his tone with a smile. "Before I bite your hands off."

Harry smiles back at him, hears Niall's embarrassed cough as he retrieves his hoodie, his key, puts his shoes back on.

But Harry's eyes are still into Louis', when he shrugs and "Aw." he comments. "I missed you too."

 

 

 

"I thought you were tired." Louis grunts when Harry presses his boner to his bum.  
  
The alpha yawns against his back in response and "I am." he replies.  
  
Louis' staring at the wall when he decides not to hit him.  
  
"Well," he scoffs. "Your cock clearly isn't."  
  
Harry lets out a weak laugh, but he's already pulling Louis' pants down.  
  
"Why don't we take care of that." he casually suggests, fingers pressed to Louis' butt cheek but not moving yet.  
  
The omega lets out a surprised laugh.  
  
"Wow." he huffs out. "That is so romantic."  
  
Harry nibbles on his shoulder blade instead of replying, waits for Louis to give him a sign.  
  
"Stick it in, already." is the sign, as the omega impatiently pushes back against him.  
  
Harry keeps him still instead, one hand pressed to his thigh, and Louis' still facing the wall when the alpha "Did you do something to your hair?" mumbles, running his free hand through it. "Feels nice."  
  
And Harry can't see his face, _thank God he can't_ , because Louis is going on fucking fire.  
  
"Niall's poured honey all over it," he blurts out, losing his voice when Harry's fingers finally start rubbing over his wet opening. "And you really need to stick it in." he whispers, like those two things make any sense together. "Now."  
  
Harry's still lacing his fingers through his hair, fingering him at the same time, slowly, pressing his nose to the back of his neck, his erection to his thigh.  
  
"Made yourself pretty for me?" he croaks out, voice hoarse and burning hot.  
  
"I don't need to make myself pretty." Louis grits out, gasping at the way Harry's opening him up, gentle and cruel. "I _am_ pretty."  
  
The alpha hums, sucks a bruise into Louis' neck and "So pretty." he garbles, drunk on tiredness and Louis' scent. "Small and pretty and smooth and-"  
  
"Harry." Louis cuts him off, ignoring the pathetic little butterflies fluttering in his guts. "Are you done talking sh-"  
  
He doesn't get to finish the sentence, because Harry starts pushing inside before he has a chance to, and Louis' mouth simply drops open, his eyes fall shut.  
  
Then it's just flesh, warmth, gritted teeth and badly repressed moans, and Louis comes all over himself before Harry's even started actually moving, when he's still looking for his rhythm, his breath coming out in hot puffs against his neck.  
  
Then Louis gets softer, wetter, he slumps back against him as Harry fucks him with the last of his energy, his cock turning him into a whimpering mess in quick, precise thrusts.  
  
Louis' trying to remind himself to ask him to pull out, he's really trying, and Harry's about to come, Louis knows it from the way he's breathing, from how heavy his hands feel over him.  
  
He's forgetting to tell him to pull out, as Harry rolls him onto his stomach, climbs on top of him, and he doesn't care that much about him pulling out, once he feels his knot starting to swell.  
  
But Harry does care, he does remember.  
  
So he pushes inside of him one last time, deep, _conflicted_ , but he finally draws back, lifts Louis' T-shirt up and comes in hot spurts over his lower back.  
  
When he falls back onto the mattress Louis lets out an exhausted laugh, or maybe a scared one, because Harry's already pulling on his wrist, determined to bring him closer, and Louis' thinking about that thing he does, the way he sees right through him when he lies.  
  
When he looks up at him, he's relieved to notice that Harry was telling the truth, when he spoke about passing out, because there he is, completely naked and frozen in place and seemingly inoffensive.  
  
Louis pulls his pants back up and curls up against him, he helplessly starts dozing off against his warm skin, and he blames it on the bond, on the pregnancy, on the end of the world.  
  
But none of those things are worth taking a knot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't so sure about this chapter, but I decided to edit and post it, in the end.
> 
> What do you think? 
> 
> Hugs .x


	35. Is it worth the risk?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiiiiii!  
> Did you miss me?  
> I really hope you guys like this chapter <3
> 
>  

"I can't cook." Louis complains, throwing his hands into the air. "I can't knit." he continues, rolling his eyes. "I can't make pretty much anything, to be honest."  
  
Harry barely follows, too busy trying to zip up his old pants.  
  
"Well, I can kill." Louis realizes, taking advantage of Harry's limited attention.  
  
"When I caught that rabbit, Niall was pretty happy to cook it." he casually points out.  
  
"So you're going to give him a carcass for his birthday?" Harry questions, finally looking at him.  
  
Louis shrugs.  
  
"You make it sound bad." he whines, folding his arms and shoving himself between Harry and the door.  
  
The alpha wills himself to stay still, even though lifting Louis up and out of his way would be much easier.  
  
"What am I gonna get him?" Louis shrieks. "I said I'd get him a present."  
  
Harry drags a hand over his face, wondering how the hell he ended up discussing birthday presents while there's walkers he's supposed to kill out there.  
  
"I'll think about it, okay?" he improvises, stepping closer.  
  
Louis gives him a suspicious glance, pressing his lips together.  
  
"Will you?" he asks, shifting on his feet, making a little space for him.  
  
Harry smiles at him before he can stop himself.  
  
"I will." He confirms, leaving a small kiss on the top of his head.  
  
Then he rushes out of the bedroom and down the stairs.  
  
If those walkers make their way to village, there won't be any birthday to worry about.

 

 

 

"Are you actually that cold?" Zayn mumbles, ignoring Louis' request for the second time. "I mean, it's a little windy but-"  
  
"We should really go and check." Louis insists.  
  
The beta lets out a tired sigh.  
  
"Even if they are coming from the clinic," he says, calm, watching his cigarette slowly turning into ash because of the breeze. "It's not our fault. We didn't touch that door."  
  
Louis bites hard on his bottom lip, still unable to shake off the bad feeling gripping his stomach.  
  
"Why don't you check on it? At least you'd know where the walkers are coming from." he presses, gesturing to catch Zayn's attention.  
  
"I'm waiting for Harry to ask." The beta explains, finally looking into Louis' eyes. "I will, as soon as he does. We need to listen to him, right now."  
  
Louis snorts, he bites his tongue to keep himself from lashing out.  
  
"Fine." he hisses. "God forbid anyone takes the initiative around here."  
  
Zayn chuckles, he tilts his head while staring back at his face, his expression suddenly softening.  
  
"What?" Louis grunts, crossing his legs uncomfortably. "Are you gonna make a move?"  
  
Zayn laughs, he blows him a kiss, he waits until Louis' facial muscles betray him and a smile forms on his lips.  
  
Then he says it.  
  
"Do you really think an oversized sweater is gonna keep me from noticing that cute little bump?"  
  
Louis hates him.

 

 

 

"Your boyfriend's at the door." Zayn informs him, taking the cigarette Louis stole right out of his pocket.  
  
Louis knew that. He knows when Harry's close, thank you very much.  
  
He also knows Harry went to get him because it's getting late and he's not in the mood to comply.  
  
Louis sinks deeper into the couch.  
  
"Tell him I'll come home in a bit."  
  
"You're coming home now."  
  
Louis flashes his teeth at him as soon as Harry pops into the room.  
  
"I'm coming home when I want to." he stubbornly retorts, kicking his shoes off and lifting his feet up.  
  
Harry blinks at him, he clears his throat and Zayn disappears.  
  
This place is ridiculous. Louis will never get used to it.  
  
"It's late." Harry says, keeping his voice calm, but Louis hears that hint of anger he's trying to control. "Everyone's inside."  
  
Louis lets out a nervous giggle, he spreads his arms open and "I'm inside, too." he points out.  
  
The alpha frowns at him.  
  
"Can you please not do this?" he moans, tilting his head back. "I'm asking you nicely, aren't I?"  
  
God.  
  
Louis can't stand him when he's right.  
  
He puts his shoes back on, he empties Zayn's ashtray all over the floor - that'll teach him not to leave him alone with Harry when he wants nothing to do with him - and he leaves his house, without saying a word.

 

 

 

Harry piles another blanket on him, and he can barely see his face with the way he's hiding under the covers.  
  
"Still cold?" he asks, finally climbing onto bed.  
  
Louis curls up immediately, he hides a little more.  
  
"I'll keep you warm, come here." Harry offers, reaching out to pull him closer.  
  
Louis lets out a distressed whine, he instantly warms up under Harry's touch, but he asks him to stop.  
  
Harry lets go of his wrist, he smoothes a hand through his hair instead, 'cause Louis can't possibly expect him not to touch him at all.  
  
It's weird.  
  
There's something going on inside that dangerous brain of his, Harry can smell it on him, he can see it in his every movement, but asking Louis what's wrong doesn't usually work.  
  
Something's making him uncomfortable, it's making him hide and keep his eyes trained on him, like he's afraid Harry's going to bite him any second.  
  
The alpha keeps threading his fingers through his hair, slowly, listening to his breathing getting heavier, more relaxed.  
  
"No walkers today." he tells him.  
  
"Good." Louis chirps, subconsciously leaning into his touch. "So no more curfew?"  
  
Harry immediately drops his smile.  
  
"I still don't know what's going on." he mutters, as his hand stills over Louis' head. "Need to be careful."  
  
"Yeah, okay." Louis groans. "So you're leaving at dawn again?"  
  
Harry responds with a guilty sigh.  
  
"Have you thought about Niall's present?" Louis suddenly remembers.  
  
The alpha swallows thick.  
  
"Of course I have." He lies. "Told you I would."  
  
Louis squirms around until he manages to lie on his side, get a good look of his face.  
  
"Yeah?" he challenges. "Let's hear it."  
  
Harry knits his eyebrows.  
  
"I'll take you to a place." he replies, making it up as he goes. "Where you'll be able to pick something for him."  
  
Louis' face brightens up in a way Harry's never seen before, he smiles so wide Harry forgets to breathe for a moment.  
  
"Really?" he beams. "You're gonna take me somewhere outside the village?"  
  
Harry's an idiot.  
  
He'd slap himself, if Louis wasn't staring.  
  
"Yeah." he blurts out. "There's a little shopping centre not too far from here."  
  
He needs to shut up right now.  
  
But it's already too late, Louis' clapping, he's stomping his feet onto the mattress, he's darting forward to touch him.  
  
"Gonna ask Nick and Greg to come with us." Harry decides, as the omega starts climbing on top of him. "They'll wait outside, in case-"  
  
"When are we going?" Louis cuts him off, biting on Harry's jaw to let the tension out, somehow.  
  
Then he's pressing his lips to Harry's mouth, his little body to his chest, and he smells so sweet, he's so cute, Harry wants to squeeze him so hard.  
  
He holds him carefully instead, he only deepens their kiss when Louis parts his lips for him.  
  
Then they're looking at each other, and Harry's never seen his eyes sparkle this way.  
  
So "Tomorrow." he tells him.  
  
He's taking him to the shopping centre tomorrow.  
  
Nick and Greg are gonna come with, which means less alphas will be checking on the village and on his territory.  
  
He's gonna take Louis to the shopping centre when there's walkers popping out of nowhere.  
  
Perfect timing, great idea.  
  
Louis was right all along.  
  
Harry is a big, stupid dog.  
  
But the smile on his omega's face makes it feel like the best decision he's ever made.

 

 

 

Zayn's the worst.  
  
"I'm telling you!" Louis yells. "He's not going to be around. He'll never know."  
  
The beta shakes his head again.  
  
"I'm not going to the clinic. If he finds out, he will kill me." he states. "Literally." he adds. "He will literally end my life."  
  
Louis throws his ashtray into the fireplace.  
  
"Still not going." Zayn declares, letting his cigarette fall into his glass. "And he's gonna change his mind about your little shopping trip. I know him."  
  
"No, he's not." Louis contradicts him. "He had forgotten about it, so he came up with it at the last second." He informs him, cocky smile on his lips. He knows him too, what does Zayn think.  
  
"It's too dangerous." The beta insists. "He won't do it."  
  
"I am more dangerous." Louis retorts. "And he knows it. Believe me."

 

 

 

Harry comes back after lunch, he stumbles upstairs, tiredness seeping through his bones, and he throws himself onto bed.  
  
Louis smacks his book right over his head.  
  
"Don't even think about it." he hisses, watching Harry curse into the pillow until his anger subsides.  
  
"I'm just gonna take a nap."  
  
"You are not." Louis declares, pulling on his shirt until Harry's lying on his back, eyes still half closed.  
  
There's plenty of time before the sun starts setting, but Louis can't risk it. If he gives him enough time to think about it, Harry will change his mind.  
  
When he drags his hands up his thighs, Harry stops thinking.  
  
"If we get back soon," Louis murmurs, licking his lips, fingers sneaking under Harry's shirt. "We could take a nap together."  
  
The alpha raises his eyebrows, abs tensing up under Louis' fingers.  
  
"How about we take that _nap_ now," he suggests. "And we take another one when we're back."  
  
The omega laughs, an excited shiver starts crawling up his spine.  
  
"No." he says, frowning. "Present, first."  
  
"I'll give you a present." Harry grumbles in response, letting out a surprised laugh when Louis presses his hand to his crotch.  
  
"I know you will." the omega coos, giving his cock a little squeeze. "And I can't wait. We'd better hurry, yeah?"  
  
Harry shakes his head at him, he bites his lip when Louis withdraws his hand.  
  
"Acting slutty to get your way?"  
  
Louis responds with a little shrug.  
  
"Yeah, it's working." The alpha admits, finally getting up.

 

 

 

"I'll be careful!" Louis shouts, just as Harry slams the car door closed.  
  
"It's not like I can run somebody over!" Louis points out. "Besides," he continues "if I do, it'll probably be a walker." he reminds him, while Harry fastens his seatbelt like he's dealing with a toddler.  
  
Well. He kinda is.  
  
"Stop treating me like a child, Harry." Louis scolds him, slapping his hands away.  
  
The alpha sticks the key in the ignition, he barely hears it when Louis "I'm driving on our way back, then." decides. "Harry?" he whines next, voice getting shaky and aggravated. "Are you gonna let me drive?"  
  
The alpha fixes his sunglasses, he honks once to make sure Nick and Greg are ready to follow them, and he starts the car.  
  
"If you don't let me drive," Louis grits out. "I won't even get in this damn car."  
  
The alpha doesn't reply, he just focuses on the road ahead, hoping it won't take long, hoping all four of them make it back to the village.  
  
Nick and Greg have made sure there's no walkers inside already, they inspected the shops and the parking lot and they gave Harry quite a few questioning looks when he asked them to do that.  
  
Louis doesn't say a word for the whole trip, he just slumps against his seat, he lets his hand cut through the wind as they go, and he smells good, relaxed, just a tad offended.  
  
Harry understands how wrong he was when they get there, and Louis calmly reaches out to grab his sunglasses, he smiles at him, sweet and cute and Harry's seen it enough times to know it's a threat, so he's not surprised when Louis throws them onto the ground.  
  
He's not surprised when Louis gets out of the car, he stretches his arms, he stomps his foot on his sunglasses, again and again, until they're a little, useless pile of plastic.  
  
Harry gets out of the car as well, he lets out a long sigh.  
  
It's gonna be a long day.

 

 

 

"Those are probably all expired." Louis complains, walking past the skin products. "And these are useless." he adds, pointing to the electronics. "And those are boring." he comments, kicking a few history books off the shelves.  
  
Harry can't help but laugh.  
  
"Why don't we get him something on Amazon?" he suggests, laughing again at Louis' irritated moan.  
  
"I don't even know what he likes." the omega whines, pacing through the aisles. "Does he like scented candles?"  
  
Harry sticks close to him, he checks their surroundings while Louis forgets the planet belongs to walkers now, but he manages to listen to him, even "Probably, yeah." reply.  
  
So Louis starts picking candles up, bringing them up to his little nose, putting them down again, until he's checked on all of them and Harry's about to fall asleep against the wall.  
  
"Vanilla?" the omega asks, shoving the candle right under his nose.  
  
Harry is disoriented for a moment. He wasn't expecting that fragrance, and it's weird, it reminds him of the way Louis smells when he wants him to put his hands on him. But his omega doesn't really need that information, so Harry just shrugs.  
  
"Peach? Let's go with peach." Louis decides, sticking the candle into Harry's pocket. "But this one smells nice, too." he hesitates.  
  
"Louis." Harry sighs. "Take all of them. Just. Take everything you want."  
  
It takes him thirty seconds to regret it.

 

 

 

Twenty minutes later he's following Louis into a clothing store, holding a shopping bag full of scented candles, a purple teddy bear and a recipe book, wondering how long it's gonna take before Louis gets tired and asks him to go back.  
  
"This is fun!" The omega sings, brushing his fingers over a fur coat. "I could spend days in here."  
  
And now Harry's thinking about how easy it would be, to just throw him over his shoulder and tie him to the car seat.  
  
But then Louis walks up to him, flush on his cheeks, small pout curling his lips, and he hands him a brand new pair of sunglasses.  
  
Harry wants to thank him, even though he shouldn't, considering it's only Louis' fault if he needs new sunglasses. He wants to thank him, but only an embarrassed cough comes out of his mouth, and he helplessly stares as Louis sticks them into his pocket and runs back to the denim jackets.  
  
Harry's gonna die in here.

 

 

 

"I found it!" he yells after what feels like an eternity. "It's fucking perfect!"  
  
As it turns out, the perfect present for Niall is a small blue pillow.  
  
"Wait!" Louis tells him, excited little smile on his lips. "Look."  
  
Harry does, and he sees that it's not just a pillow. It's a pillow with a blanket inside of it and apparently that's enough to make Louis smile, so big and bright Harry _needs_ to smile back at him.  
  
"He's gonna love it." He says, carefully dropping the bag onto the floor.  
  
"Do you want to get something for yourself?" he then asks him, inevitably smirking at the way Louis darts back to the coat rack, disappearing into a fitting room a minute later.  
  
Harry stands there for a moment, asking himself if he should just wait or if he's allowed to peek inside, with the fact he's his alpha and they have sex and they live together and everything.  
  
Being with Louis does not involve that much logic, though. It still feels like walking on eggshells, you never know what might upset him.  
  
But there's no need to think about that anymore, because Louis finally gets out of the fitting room, wearing an oversized denim jacket with a white fur collar and if the economy was still a thing, Harry would be swiping his credit card right this moment.  
  
"It looks good." he manages to blurt out, staring at him while Louis checks himself in the mirror, he spins around, he smiles.  
  
Then he takes it off, he checks the price tag and "Well," he chirps, raising his eyebrows. "Too bad I can't afford it."  
  
He even starts putting it back on its hanger, a fake crushed expression on his face, before Harry snatches it out of his hands and "I can." he tells him.  
  
Louis doesn't have enough time to react, because Harry takes a good look at it, he shrugs and then, as Louis' jaw drops, he tries it on.  
  
"Yup." he comments. "Looks even better on me."  
  
He sees it in the mirror, that Louis is sneaking up on him with his fist raised up, but he patiently waits for him to hit him in his head. He kinda asked for it.  
  
"I'll let you borrow it every once in a while, okay?" he sighs, taking in Louis' outraged expression.  
  
"How sweet of you." the omega hisses, failing at hiding his smile. "Got myself a wonderful man."  
  
Harry responds with a proud little smile, and he's trying not to laugh, because they both know there's twenty more identical jackets in that same store and Louis could just take all of them, if he wanted.  
  
"Pick something for me." Louis tells him then, folding his arms. "Let's see what you can do."  
  
Harry knits his eyebrows, as he takes the jacket off.  
  
"You do realize that I picked every single thing you're wearing right now, right?"  
  
The omega snorts, he rolls his eyes.  
  
"It doesn't count." he whines. "I want you to pick something I would actually wear."  
  
Harry tilts his head to the side, confused, wondering if he's supposed to be offended by that.  
  
All the clothes Louis owns right now fit him perfectly, or almost, and Harry spent much longer than he cares to admit picking them from the huge pile they keep at the village.  
  
Not to mention the fact he advices the members of his pack to make sure their clothes last as long as possible, hoping they only ask for new stuff when they actually need it.  
  
Yet, his omega gets new pieces of clothing every week, because Harry can't fucking help himself, and he's been hoping nobody points it out.  
  
Louis is pregnant. The rules don't apply. He needs new clothes. Warm, comfy clothes.  
  
"Harry." Louis sighs. "I'm waiting."  
  
The alpha shoots him a challenging look and he shoves the jacket into their shopping bag.  
  
"Fine." he grunts. "Wait right there."  
  
He doesn't even think about it, he just rushes to the counter and he begins rummaging through the accessories, knowing exactly what he's looking for.  
  
"Here." he says a minute later. "Your cheap boyfriend just found the perfect present for you."  
  
He hears Louis laughing, hears his little snarky comment as he approaches.  
  
_You wish you were my boyfriend_.  
  
But despite his little unimpressed act, his eyes brighten immediately once he sees it.  
  
It's not even that special, the price tag makes it clear, and it's probably something anybody would wear.  
  
But Louis' speechless, he's deeply annoyed by the fact that yes, he would have probably bought it for himself.  
  
If the economy was still a thing.  
  
"A beanie?" he asks, shrugging. "That's the best you can do?"  
  
Harry's relaxed expression doesn't change, he yanks him forward instead, he places the beanie on his head, he fixes his fringe the way Louis would, letting it peek out and brushing it to the side of his forehead.  
  
Louis just stands there and glares at him, cheeks getting warm as Harry touches him, and he's just waiting for his cocky comment at this point.  
  
"Shut up." Harry mumbles. "You fucking love it, look at you."  
  
Louis punches him right in his chest, but Harry sees the way he's smiling, the way he's blushing, he can hear the way his heart is thumping inside his chest, cheerful and surprised.  
  
"Let's go." Louis decides, shoving the bag into Harry's hands. "That Range Rover won't drive itself."  
  
"You're not driving." the alpha reminds him. "It's getting dark."  
  
Louis stops in his tracks, he turns around so fast Harry flinches.  
  
"No." he warns, pointing one finger at him. "We are not fighting."  
  
"I know." Harry calmly replies. "We are not. Because you are not driving."  
  
Louis covers his face with both hands, letting out what sounds like a repressed scream, and when he looks back up his eyes are on fire.  
  
"You always ruin everything." he spits out, trying to tear the bag out of his hands.  
  
Harry watches him lose his temper, he patiently watches him throw the beanie into the trash can, and curse and push him and try to take the bag from him again.  
  
And while he stares at him, all he can feel is confusion, because Louis' throwing a tantrum and his nerves have never felt this solid.  
  
Why isn't he yelling at him?  
  
When the omega starts heading to the door, he finally snaps out of it, and he quickly reaches out to grab him, make him turn around.  
  
And then he realizes he's not holding the shopping bag anymore, he's holding Louis instead, he's lifting him up on the counter, he's kissing him and he's touching him and he doesn't even know what started it.  
  
"Oh, of course!" Louis screams, turning his face away from him. "Now you wanna kiss me."  
  
Harry can't really argue with that, in the back of his mind he knows he's making no sense, he's supposed to be dragging Louis outside while the omega screams his head off, right now.  
  
But he just kisses him again, more delicately this time, feeling the way Louis helplessly relaxes and leans against him, catching the change in his scent.  
  
"What, here?" Louis mumbles, holding tight onto his jumper when Harry tries to take it off.  
  
Harry hears the way his tone shifts, sounding sweet and pliant, only slightly unsure.  
  
"We're safe." Harry reassures him, pressing their bodies together. "You smell so good." he adds, like it's a good reason to fuck him inside an abandoned mall. "But no, it's late." he changes his mind, pulling back abruptly. "Dangerous."  
  
Louis lets out an amused laugh, he grabs his shirt to pull him close again.  
  
"Make up your mind." he scoffs, looking up at him, eyes big and blue and inviting. "Is it safe?" he asks him, eyes wide and deep and tempting. "Or is it dangerous?"  
  
He is so dangerous.  
  
He smells so sweet.  
  
"Is it worth it?" Louis finally asks him, tilting his chin up, looking for his mouth.  
  
Harry's not even thinking about it anymore, he's just confusedly wondering why Louis won't let him undress him, but when the omega jumps off the counter and turns around for him, he's already thinking about something else.  
  
He's thinking about the curve of Louis' back as he bends over, about yanking his pants down, about kneeling, about the way he tastes.  
  
He's surrendering to the fact that yes, this is dangerous, it's exactly what you are not supposed to do in this situation, making yourself vulnerable and getting distracted, stupid, reckless.  
  
Harry knows how wrong it is, even as he eats his omega out, eyes closed, fingers digging into his flesh, slick dripping down his face, he knows it all too well.  
  
The problem is he doesn't really care, right now.  
  
And that's why having an omega like Louis is no good, after the world ends.  
  
Because it takes him a minute, a word, a little flirty look and suddenly you're stupid.  
  
It takes him a second, and you're willing to die for him.  
  
Harry knows all of this, even as he slides inside of him, even as he shakes and moans and thrusts in again, he knows they're not supposed to do this.  
  
And he's going to hate himself for giving in, he's going to regret it as soon as it's over, but having Louis this way, right this moment, is worth dying for.  
  
It might actually happen, that's the worst part, something might go wrong any second. The problem is.  
  
He just can't bring himself to care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for making you wait this long :c  
> Hope I'll be able to make up for that, soon <3
> 
> Hugs .x


	36. The reveal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> Look! An update! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy <3

"I'm bored."  
  
Louis drags his eyes up to Harry's face, he snorts.  
  
"Harry?" He tries again. "I'm bored."  
  
The alpha finally looks at him, eyes red and puffy, he responds with a yawn.  
  
"I knew it was a bad idea." He mutters, squeezing his eyes shut.  
  
The omega glares at him, just in case Harry opens his eyes again.  
  
He doesn't.  
  
"What was?" Louis asks, rolling onto his tummy so he can properly look at him.  
  
Harry doesn't answer at first, he just lies there, quiet and tired and still, it takes him so long that Louis starts thinking he must have fallen asleep.  
  
"Taking you there."  
  
Louis wishes he had fallen asleep.  
  
"I loved it." He grits out. "And you didn't seem this conflicted while you were stuffing your cock up my arse."  
  
Harry huffs out a weak laugh, he manages to open one of his eyes.  
  
"That's the problem." He mumbles, blinking until Louis' face comes into focus. "You had fun. You got out of the village, got a bunch of new stuff, got my cock up your arse, drove a car."  
  
Louis' eyebrows shoot up, while he debates whether he should wait for Harry to finish or just punch him right in his stupid mouth.  
  
He's exhausted, Louis could even punch him twice, before Harry manages to react.  
  
Maybe bite him a little.  
  
Call him a dog.  
  
"Now you want more of that." Harry finally adds. "But it can't happen."  
  
Louis lets his eyes fall shut for a moment, a moment he allows himself to keep his nerves under control.  
  
"Can you blame me?" He asks him when he's done, once he finally feels able to keep talking - not screaming.  
  
Harry shrugs.  
  
"What kind of alpha would I be if I kept putting your life at risk?"  
  
"A very unconventional one." Louis readily replies.  
  
Then he climbs further up their bed, kicking most of the duvet to the floor as he does, until he reaches Harry's shoulders, leaning over him, looking into his perplexed eyes.  
  
"One I could fall in love with." He tells him, getting close enough their mouths almost touch.  
  
Harry frowns at him.  
  
"What makes you think I care about you falling in love with me?"  
  
Louis pulls back, fingers digging into Harry's shoulders as he loses his balance.  
  
"You-" he blurts out, blinking confusedly. "You don't?"  
  
The alpha's frown slowly fades away, replaced by an amused expression, that stupid little grin Louis hates starts curling his lips.  
  
"Do you?" Harry challenges, cocking his head. "Since when?"  
  
"I don't." Louis hisses, clumsily rolling back to his side of the bed.  
  
It's always a bad idea, trying to talk some sense into Harry, Louis should just give up and surrender to his new, boring, uneventful, post-apocalyptic life.  
  
He's thinking just that, when Harry suddenly shifts and leans over him, so quick and unexpected Louis makes a little startled sound he needs to pretend never happened.  
  
"Now's not a good time to take you out of the village."  
  
"Is it ever a good time to take me out of the village?" Louis retorts, squirming uncomfortably in the small space Harry's arms have trapped him into.  
  
The alpha falls silent, Louis can only hear him breathe for a long minute, and every single cell in his body is aware of the fact Harry's upset because Louis interrupted him.  
  
"Go on." Louis mumbles, slowly bringing his eyes back on his face.  
  
Harry's stern expression confirms his theory. Louis hates the fact it lights his nerves up with arousal.  
  
"It is never a good time to take you out of the village, Louis." Harry agrees, slow, calm, voice deeper. "But we can make it happen, every now and then."  
  
Louis furrows his eyebrows.  
  
Has he heard that right?  
  
"If I'm close." Harry adds. "If you're safe."  
  
Louis swallows thick, trying to take his mind off the rush of heat swirling in his guts at the sound of Harry's voice.  
  
"I get that your instinct is protecting me," he murmurs, unable to get his vocal chords to cooperate. "But I'll never be happy if I'm stuck here."  
  
That seems to breach through Harry's unbreakable moral code, through his impossible set of rules, making its way to his dull alpha brain, where it's all _hunt_ , _protect_ , _reproduce_ , _sleep_.  
  
Louis' words seem to have found a little space in there.  
  
"I've never had an omega asking for this, before." Harry reflects, averting his gaze for a brief moment. "Omegas usually want to feel sheltered."  
  
Louis bites his lip, looking for the right words, because he can't afford to break this fragile balance.  
  
Harry's never offered him such a chance.  
  
"I used to be like that." Louis reveals, as his hands finally start moving again, finding their place over Harry's biceps.  
  
The alpha's muscles respond to his touch, Harry's pupils dilate as soon as Louis starts staring into his eyes.  
  
He's waiting for him to keep going, fully awake now, completely alert.  
  
"After the outbreak I found myself alone." Louis continues. "I really needed someone to help me, protect me."  
  
Harry lets out a long breath and Louis fights the urge to look away, to run away, to seal his mouth shut.  
  
"The alphas I ran into said they'd take care of me." He tells him, feeling the bitter smile that's curling his lips at the memory.  
  
"But they didn't protect me." he croaks out, throat closing up. "I should have known better."  
  
Harry slowly leans closer, until he can brush his nose against Louis' temple, catching the change in his scent.  
  
"You know why I made it this far?" Louis asks him, pulling away from him despite his need to feel him. He needs Harry to listen.  
  
"Knowing how to protect myself." He finally says, staring directly into Harry's green eyes. "Knowing how to hunt, learning how to shoot a gun, use a knife, even my hands to defend myself. I learned not to rely on an alpha to survive. You can't expect me to forget all of that."  
  
Harry inhales sharply this time, realization dawning on him for the first time in months.  
  
He nods, he keeps his eyes trained on him, he studies him, like he's never really seen him before.  
  
"I don't want you to depend on me." He tells him. "I just need you to understand that I'm the leader of this pack. That I'm your alpha. That the world is not ours anymore and all I want is for us to survive."  
  
"I do understand that." Louis reassures him, linking his fingers behind Harry's neck, keeping their eyes locked together. "And I won't stand in your way. I'm just asking you to remember I'm not just your omega."  
  
Harry's nostrils flare at his words, at the last thing he said, and Louis felt it too, he knows why Harry's breathing a little faster.  
  
"Okay." Harry replies. "I'll try to be less- alpha."  
  
Louis bursts out laughing, accumulated tension finally leaving his body, and he pulls Harry closer as he does, he hears him laughing too when their noses touch.  
  
"No, not less alpha." He corrects. "Just less of a dickhead."  
  
Harry isn't as amused this time, but he still smiles, he nods his head.  
  
"Less of a dickhead." He sighs. "Got it."

 

 

 

"So where have you been?" Niall presses, following Louis around the house. "Was it like a date or something?"  
  
Louis rolls his eyes so far back they might get stuck in his skull.  
  
"No." he replies, bending over to retrieve the hoodie under his bed. "Stop asking me."  
  
He can see Niall's pout when he turns around, but he ignores it, he rushes out of the room and down the stairs again.  
  
"Any progress with Liam?" he asks, picking up a sock he finds at the bottom of the staircase.  
  
Niall taps on his shoulder to hand him the other one.  
  
"Why won't you tell me?" he whines. "You told Zayn, didn't you?"  
  
Louis sighs, he paces through the living room, he drops the clothes on the table.  
  
Niall keeps following him, Louis can feel him standing behind him while he shoves his hand between the couch cushions.  
  
And he's wondering how the hell his blue jumper ended up in there, when he realizes something's missing.  
  
"Niall, is this where you put the magazine?"  
  
Niall kneels onto the couch, arm diving into it.  
  
"It was here." he blurts out, confused. "I put it right here."  
  
They stare at each other for a moment, wasting a good minute before it finally sinks in.  
  
"Fuck." Louis grits out. "Get up."  
  
Niall immediately complies, throwing the couch cushions all over the room before Louis even asks him to, and it's even clearer now that the magazine is not there.  
  
On a more positive note, Louis finally found his scarf.  
  
He yanks it out of the frame, almost tearing it apart, and "Harry must have taken it." he hisses. "Let's search the bedroom."

 

 

 

"Did you actually clean our house?" is the first thing out of Harry's mouth when he gets back. "Why are you mad at me?" is the second.  
  
Louis gives him a furious look, he leans against Niall as Harry shuffles closer.  
  
"I'm not." he lies, trying way too hard not to bare his little teeth at him. "I'm fine."  
  
Harry lets him, he bends over him to press a kiss to his mouth, quick enough Louis can't remember to push him away.  
  
"Good." he comments. "I need to rest a bit. Will you wake me up?"  
  
"In the bedroom?" Louis asks, biting on his nails. "Now?"  
  
The alpha gives him a questioning look.  
  
He looks even more disoriented when Niall jumps up from the couch, when Louis walks him to the door, when Niall "Later!" blurts out, before disappearing.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
Louis' pulling on his wrist now, trying to throw him onto the couch, but Harry won't budge.  
  
"You can rest here." he pants, gripping on his shirt this time. Harry just watches him struggle, muscles clenched to make sure Louis doesn't get to move him an inch. "Why not in the bedroom?"  
  
"You're tired." Louis quickly retorts. "All those stairs." he explains, walking around him and shoving at his back. "Why not the couch?"  
  
"Why not the bedroom?" Harry ignores him, striding across the room.  
  
When Louis jumps on his back to try and stop him, Harry starts getting seriously worried. What the hell is going on upstairs?  
  
"What did you do?" he grits out as he climbs the stairs.  
  
"Nothing!" Louis shrieks, squeezing his arms around his chest. "It's just messy, that's all."  
  
_Messy_ , he says.  
  
Harry stops in his tracks, he looks around the room, concerned. Shocked.  
  
"What the hell happened in here?"  
  
He hears Louis' frustrated whine, feels him hiding his face into his shoulder.  
  
He tries to shake him off of himself, but Louis tightens his hold on him in response.  
  
So Harry finally gets inside the bedroom, walking over the tangled sheets lying all over the floor, climbing over the pillows, moving the chair out of his way to make it safely to the mirror.  
  
Louis can't hide from him, this way.  
  
He catches his guilty expression in the reflection, as well as the flustered flush spreading over his cheeks.  
  
"Louis." He sighs. "What were you trying to do?"  
  
The omega finally jumps off, but he keeps hiding behind him, face pressed to Harry's back.  
  
"I was looking for something." He mutters into his shirt. "I was gonna tidy up before-"  
  
"What were you looking for?" Harry cackles, reaching behind himself to catch him.  
  
Louis whines for the whole ten seconds it takes Harry to have him standing in front of him, as he stubbornly tries to wriggle out of his grip.  
  
"My-" Louis stutters, as his gaze darts to the clothes scattered all over the floor.  
  
"Your?" Harry encourages, curious about his next lie.  
  
Louis frowns at him.  
  
"My green hoodie." he grits out, shoving at Harry's chest to try and break free again.  
  
"You don't have a green hoodie." Harry reminds him, smiling down at him, his hold getting even tighter around Louis' waist.  
  
"Exactly." Louis retorts. "But I didn't know that."  
  
Harry levels him with an unimpressed look.  
  
"You thought you had one?" He questions, corking an eyebrow.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"So you destroyed our bedroom to find it?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
The alpha laughs again, obviously not convinced.  
  
He bends over him, smirking at the way Louis' whole body stiffens, but he sneaks a hand under his chin, forcing him to bring his gaze back up.  
  
Louis' eyes look even bigger when he's looking up at him this way.  
  
Harry sighs.  
  
"You know I can tell when you're lying, right?"  
  
Louis drops his gaze to the floor again, cheeks burning with frustration, lip caught between his teeth.  
  
"Yes." He hisses, as Harry finally lets go of him.

 

 

 

"Harry said he can't let us be outside on my birthday." Niall pouts, letting Zayn wrap a scarf around him.  
  
"He told me I could invite the pack over to your house-"  
  
" _My_ house?!" Louis snaps, dropping the log he was holding to the floor.  
  
Zayn scoffs, he picks it up, he stuffs it into the fireplace.  
  
"Why in my house?!"  
  
Niall shrugs, he pulls the scarf out of his mouth.  
  
"Because he's the pack leader, I suppose."  
  
"Yeah, so?" Louis presses, looking at Zayn this time.  
  
Zayn shrugs, too.  
  
"I said no, anyway." Niall reassures him. "I don't feel like having a party."  
  
Zayn knits his eyebrows, showing some kind of emotion, for a change.  
  
"Why not?" he whispers, finally sitting down.  
  
Niall sucks in his bottom lip, eyes getting wider as Zayn pulls him into his arms.  
  
Louis is fighting every single cell in his system not to roll his eyes.  
  
"Don't want to." Niall murmurs. "It doesn't feel right."  
  
Louis is still standing up, fingers twisting around in the pockets of his sweats, getting increasingly uncomfortable.  
  
"Okay." he comments. "But you still want your present, right?"  
  
Niall's eyes suddenly light up.  
  
"You got me a present?" he shrieks, clasping Zayn's shirt. "Really?"  
  
Louis chuckles, he gives him a little shrug.  
  
"Maybe."  
  
Zayn smiles at him, definitely satisfied and a little surprised. He's usually the one in charge of handling Niall's feelings.  
  
"Also," Louis adds, proud of himself. "I have a little something to show you. You're gonna love it."  
  
Niall's mouth drops open.  
  
"What is it?" he blurts out. "Now?"  
  
Louis bursts out laughing this time, warmth spreading through his chest when Niall's expression brightens up again.  
  
It's too damn easy to make him happy. Louis admires him for it.  
  
"Yeah." he allows, finally rolling his eyes. "Got it right here."  
  
Zayn's shaking his head at him, he knows where this is going, and he can't help laughing and "You idiot." commenting.  
  
"Ready?" Louis ignores him, straightening up. "Here it comes."  
  
Niall lets out a little strangled noise, unable to predict what's going to happen, his blue eyes darting back and forth and around the room.  
  
"Right here." Louis tells him, pointing to himself.  
  
Then he grips onto the hem of his sweater, he determinedly ignores the burning sensation in his cheeks, and he lifts it up to his chest, exposing his tummy.  
  
The sound escaping Niall's mouth is barely human, incredibly loud and high-pitched.  
  
Louis bites on the inside of his cheeks, Niall's enthusiasm washing over him in warm waves.  
  
"Louis, that is so pretty!" Niall shrieks, pressing his hands to his own face. "That's so-"  
  
"Cheesy." Zayn interjects, trying to contain his laughter.  
  
Louis flips him off, he accurately avoids looking at the bump as he covers it.  
  
"You're going to have a baaaby!" Niall's shouting now, bouncing up and down excitedly.  
  
Suddenly he's standing up, he's pressing both hands to Louis' little belly, so softly Louis can barely feel it.  
  
"You're going to have a baby." he's whining, as Louis regrets the whole thing.  
  
Zayn sighs audibly.  
  
"He's crying." he groans. "Good job, Louis."

 

 

 

"Why do you have to go all the time?" Louis protests, shifting his weight over Harry's body to keep him in bed. "You let the other alphas take a break." he continues, pushing down on his chest even though Harry isn't showing the slightest interest in moving, yet. "But you never take a day off."  
  
Harry gives him his _are you done?_ face, Louis' learned to recognize it by now.  
  
"I am not done." Louis snarls, tearing a laugh out of him.  
  
"Can we finish when I'm back?" Harry suggests, stroking his fingers up Louis' arms.  
  
"Oh, you mean when you're exhausted and I'll be talking to the walls?" he provokes him, pushing down on his chest when Harry tries to laugh again.  
  
The alpha ends up choking on his spit, but Louis doesn't let him roll to his side, he just sighs, he watches him cough for a good minute, resting his entire weight on him now, and then "I'm spending the night at Niall's." he informs him, as Harry finally catches his breath.  
  
"I'll be back soon." the alpha tells him, grabbing his hips to try and soothe him.  
  
Louis digs his nails into his wrists.  
  
"And I'll be at Niall's." he retorts, squeezing harder when Harry tries to move his hands up his sides.  
  
"I'll come pick you up."  
  
"No!" Louis barks, climbing off. "You're gonna wake us up."  
  
Harry slumps back against the bed rest, a puzzled expression crumpling up his face.  
  
"You're coming home when I'm back." he says then, chewing on his bottom lip.  
  
Louis clenches his fists, he resists the urge to shove them at Harry's chest, spine tingling with irritation.  
  
Just a tiny trace of arousal, just enough to have him hissing at the alpha.  
  
"Weren't you leaving?" he spits out, throwing his pillow right in Harry's face. " _Leave_."

 

 

 

Niall's face is turning purple, as Louis explains it to him.  
  
"He always leaves at dawn." he reassures him. "And sometimes in the afternoon, too."  
  
"And what if he doesn't?" Niall blurts out, making himself smaller, leaning so close to the fireplace Louis needs to push him back to a safer spot.  
  
"If he doesn't," he sighs, tearing Niall's hand out of his blonde hair. "He's gonna leave at night." he reminds him, wiggling his eyebrows.  
  
Niall's mouth drops open.  
  
"Liam can come over as soon as Harry leaves."  
  
"No!" Niall screeches, diving both hands into his hair this time. "Not at night!"  
  
Louis shoves his arms back down again.  
  
"What the hell are you scared of, Niall?!" he snaps, holding on to his hands. "You wanna have your little moment with him, don't you?"  
  
The omega lets out a terrified whine.  
  
"Yeah, but-"  
  
"Enough!" Louis cuts him off. "You guys need to get a fucking grip."  
  
"Don't get mad." Niall moans,  
  
"It's happening." Louis ignores him, pulling on his arms. "You're kissing him tomorrow."  
  
Niall freezes.  
  
Louis watches him as it starts sinking in, taking in his shocked expression.  
  
"Am I?" Niall stutters, as his cheeks flush pink all over again.  
  
Louis stares right into his eyes.  
  
"You are." he assures him. "You totally are."  
  
Louis lets go of his hands, he leans over him to throw more wood into the dying fire, catching every bit of Niall's breakdown.  
  
When he turns to look at him, Niall's literally chewing on the blanket.  
  
"What, what is it?" Louis asks him, forcing him to let go of that damn thing. "Talk to me."  
  
Niall tries, he really does, but all that comes out of his mouth is a weird, raspy noise.  
  
Louis rests a hand over his cheek.  
  
"It's gonna be good, Niall." he whispers. "It's what you want, isn't it?"  
  
Niall nods his head, then he shakes it, then he drops it onto his knees, groaning.  
  
"Happy birthday, Niall." Louis sings, peppering kisses all over his shoulders.  
  
Niall giggles, despite everything, but that concerned expression won't leave his face.  
  
"What is it?" Louis insists, fighting a yawn. "Tell me."  
  
Niall finally takes a deep breath, the way he does when he's pushing himself past his own limits, and Louis perks up, he squeezes his knee to encourage him.  
  
Niall glances up at him, an embarrassed smile twisting his lips.  
  
"I want to." he whispers. "I just-"  
  
"What?" Louis presses, smoothing a hand over his thigh, comforting him the best he can.  
  
Niall breathes in again.  
  
"I've never done it, before."  
  
Louis didn't mean to scream, he swears he didn't.  
  
But here he goes, he's screaming.  
  
"No way!"  
  
Niall hides into the blanket, his face disappears behind it.  
  
"Niall, it's so easy, I promise." Louis coos, trying to get him out of his little cocoon.  
  
"Feel stupid." Niall mutters, curling up.  
  
"You shouldn't." Louis immediately replies. "It doesn't matter." And just as he says it, he can't help but think about the fact Niall's having a panic attack because he's never kissed anyone, while Louis is pregnant.  
  
Jesus Christ, he's _pregnant_.  
  
"It's gonna be great." he blurts out, forcing his way out of his own thoughts. "Trust me."  
  
Niall's face pops out again, blanket falling around his legs and onto the floor.  
  
He knits his eyebrows, and Louis is scared he's said something wrong for a moment. But it's not about that, Niall's reaching out to grab his hands, a determined expression glued to his face.  
  
"Teach me." he says. "Teach me how to do it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aren't they the cutest? * - *
> 
> Did you like it? <3


	37. The conspiracy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was so much work! Glad it's finally ready.  
> Hope you enjoy <3
> 
>  

"Watch your tone when you talk to him." Harry advises, clenching his jaw at the way Nick sighs. "Don't upset him." he continues, voice dropping before he can control it. "Ask him nicely, tell him I sent you. Make it seem like-"  
  
"Like he can do whatever the hell he wants?" Nick interrupts him, already stepping away from him.  
  
"Basically, yeah." Harry agrees, opening the door of his cabin.

 

 

 

"Niall, just come here." Louis laughs, reaching out once again to try and pull Niall into his arms. "Stop thinking about it."  
  
"Do you think I'm weird?" Niall blurts out, gripping on Louis' shirt. "You don't have to do it just because-"  
  
"Niall, just kiss me for God's sake." Louis grunts, sneaking his fingers into the collar of his jumper to bring him even closer.  
  
Niall's hands fly up to his mouth immediately.  
  
Louis sighs, defeated.  
  
"Okay, you know what?" he shrugs, losening his grip on him. Niall keeps his hands pressed to his face, not trusting him one bit. "Forget it." Louis continues. "You'll figure it out."  
  
And with that said he lets go of him, he leans back, he starts fidgeting with his shoe laces.  
  
Niall slowly drops his hands onto his thighs, he spends a good minute trying to get his breathing under control, but ends up hyperventilating instead.  
  
Louis lifts his head up, meeting Niall's terrified eyes.  
  
"What if it's terrible?" he hears him say. "What if it's so bad Liam changes his mind about me?"  
  
Louis swallows down his laughter.  
  
"I doubt that's gonna happen, Niall." He reassures him. "Unless you drool all over his face or something."  
  
"Yeah, what if I do that?!" Niall screeches, slapping both hands against his red cheeks. "What if-"  
  
"What if it's just perfect?" Louis interrupts him. "What if kissing is your hidden talent and you're amazing at it?" he argues, corking an eyebrow.  
  
Niall stares at him for a moment, and Louis can almost see the mess going on in his head, he can almost hear it.  
  
"Gonna drool all over his face." Niall says, shocked. "Gonna make a mess."  
  
Louis tries to fight it again, but he can't.  
  
He cracks up this time, laughing so hard he ends up lying on the floor, feet thrown into the air as Niall pulls on his ankles and begs him to stop.  
  
"This is serious, Louis." he whines, fueling Louis' laughter. "I'm gonna mess it up."  
  
And Louis should try and calm him again, he's planning on doing just that, but his tummy hurts and his eyes are filling up with tears and he couldn't get any words out if he tried.  
  
He just needs a minute, okay?  
  
But Niall doesn't want to waste sixty more seconds, he just can't afford to do that, so he "Okay!" yells, crawling up to him. "That's it!" he decides, carefully climbing on top of him.  
  
Louis finally goes quiet, realization abruptly sinking in, and he gives Niall an approving smile, he reaches his hands up and "Oh, yes, Niall." he murmurs. "Finally."  
  
The next moment Niall's lips are pressed to his mouth, hard and determined, a tad too enthusiastically, but they're gonna work on that.

 

 

 

With Louis it's all about practising.  
  
He might be a pain in the ass, but he is patient, in his own twisted way.  
  
He lets Harry try again, test new methods, experiment a little bit, until he gets it right.  
  
That's how Harry learnt to hold him without asking, when they're falling asleep.  
  
Because if he points it out, Louis gets annoyed at his indecisiveness, trying to disguise the fact he doesn't want to be the one who asks for physical contact.  
  
And when Louis is hungry Harry usually needs to wait for him to say it. Because, apparently, simply bringing him food means Harry's deciding when and what he needs to eat, and that's disrespectful. _Obviously_.  
  
So is telling him to go home while he's spending time with his friend, that is incredibly disrespectful, isn't it?  
  
Harry's shaking his head as he thinks about it, he's talking to himself as he places a water bottle on Louis' nightstand, he's ranting on his own to make sure he resists the urge to do it with Louis.  
  
If he gets on his nerves, Louis won't let him get in his pants, and Harry really wants to get in his pants.  
  
Because he might be a huge pain in the ass, and his brain wasn't built according to the instructions, - his body was, for sure - and his eyes can channel so much rage in one single look he makes you want to hide, and he loves making everything a little harder than it needs to be, and nothing's ever good enough, or at least he won't admit it, no matter how satisfied he looks.  
  
But Harry wants him.  
  
He craves him.  
  
He finds himself thinking about him, even from miles away, Harry has him stuck in his head, his little voice echoing in his ears, tone high and demanding, eyes wide and cold and bored, his body a fucking masterpiece, warming up under his touch, no matter how stubbornly he tries to fight it.  
  
Harry can't keep himself from thinking about him, because Louis is a constant challenge, he's just plain impossible, and he's fucking lucky, because Harry's never liked it easy.  
  
Harry's still shaking his head, chest tightening in frustration, as he lights a candle on Louis' nightstand.  
  
Because he's learned that Louis would rather bump against every single piece of furniture inside their house than simply admit he can't see shit in the dark.  
  
And then he's standing there, he's wondering if those covers will keep him warm enough, if that candle will make it through the night, - or at least through what he wants to do to him tonight - but, most of it all, he's wondering where the hell he is.  
  
"Where the hell is he?"

 

 

 

"If you don't open your mouth," Louis points out, gently pushing Niall against the arm rest. "I can't teach you."  
  
Niall giggles, embarrassed, and he "How did we end up on the couch?" wonders.  
  
"That's what happens when you're caught up in the moment." Louis simply explains, grabbing Niall's hands and bringing them back up and around his neck.  
  
Niall closes his eyes, he knits his eyebrows, he purses his lips, and Louis is already thinking about how merciless he's going to be, when this is over, making fun of him until Niall's a beautiful, stuttering mess.  
  
He can't wait.  
  
But now he's just going to stick to the plan, that's why he leans in and brushes his lips against Niall's, slow and delicate, and he sucks on his bottom lip, trying to get him to open up for what feels like the hundreth time.  
  
He even "Open." tells him, pressing him harder against the cushions, and Niall finally does, he lets out a little sigh and he slightly parts his lips.  
  
Louis slides his tongue inside then, just a little at first, making sure Niall's not having a mental breakdown again, then a little more, letting out a surprised noise when Niall starts twisting his tongue into his mouth as well.  
  
And he seems to like it, too.  
  
Louis is going to make fun of him so fucking hard.  
  
Niall drags him back into the moment, running his hands up Louis' back and pulling him in, pressing their chests together, kissing him so hard Louis can barely breathe, kissing him so well Louis "Very good, Niall." compliments him. "But let me catch a breath every now and then, yeah?"

 

 

 

He needs a moment.  
  
A minute to breathe through it, to force his muscles to relax, convince his entire system that nothing's going on.  
  
If something was wrong with him, he'd just know.  
  
But if nothing's wrong, what the hell are Nick and Greg doing, standing in front of Niall's window that way?  
  
Harry's legs are moving on their own, while he keeps reminding himself nothing is wrong - he would fucking know, for God's sake - and he sneaks up on them, carefully, quietly, surprised at how unaware they seem to be when he finally stops right behind them.  
  
They're elbowing each other, they're gasping and cursing and giggling like two damn school girls, and Harry really can't understand why, not until he silently moves to the side and manages to peek inside Niall's house.  
  
Then, suddenly, it's all clear.

 

 

 

Louis' heart jumps straight up his throat, and he's not sure if it's because Niall's just screamed right inside his mouth, or because of the loud impact that shook the entire house, or - and he tends to believe this is why - because of how furious Harry sounded, when he let out that growl.  
  
Louis confusedly watches Niall crawl under the table, eyes open so wide they might pop out of his head, before turning his head to the window, to the _cracked_ window, where Nick and Greg's faces are firmly pressed up.  
  
"It's okay, Niall." he blurts out, pushing himself up to his feet. "He's not mad at us."  
  
Niall responds with a desperate whine but Louis puts him on pause, pacing through the living room and fumbling with the key to unlock the door and stick his head outside, where he can actually see what's going on.  
  
This way he can get a good look of Harry's foot being shoved up Nick's ass as he tries to walk away, of the fistful of Greg's hair held tight into his hand, and he knows this is not a good moment to laugh.  
  
But his body is not cooperating today, Louis' struggling to swallow it back down but he feels it rising up his chest faster than he can control it, and he inappropriately bursts out laughing for the second time today, he even bends over as he does, legs quickly giving in, and he hears himself screeching as he slides face-first onto the grass.  
  
He has dirt in his mouth now, but he can't seem to get back up, too focused on Nick and Greg's voices, barking out a few protests as they manage to run away. He tries to pay attention but can't really make out their words, his ears are ringing too hard with his own laughter.

 

 

 

"What the hell was that?" Harry hisses behind him.  
  
Niall reacts with a little embarrassed sob, curling up into a tiny ball under the table, face hidden behind his hands.  
  
"Shut up." Louis snarls, blindly throwing a punch behind himself.  
  
That felt like Harry's stomach.  
  
Good.  
  
"Niall." he whispers. "Come here, baby. It's okay. Harry's not mad at you, I promise."  
  
"But what the fuck was that?" Harry insists, crawling under the table as well. "Why were you-"  
  
"It doesn't matter." Louis spells out, staring into his eyes this time. "Tell him it's fine."  
  
And Harry's not really sure it's fine, he's confused to say the least, but Louis' pinching the back of his neck, digging his nails into it, baring his teeth at him, and Harry's not exactly enjoying it.  
  
"It's fine, Niall." he mutters, tilting his head back to make Louis stop. "It's fine." he grits out, as Louis mercilessly twists the little piece of flesh he's got trapped between his fingers.  
  
"I'm not angry, I promise." Harry hisses, gripping on Louis' wrist.  
  
That's when the omega finally lets go, he hums, he nods his head.  
  
"See?" he says. "He's not angry, I told you."  
  
The whine Niall lets out doesn't seem too convinced.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Louis chirps at that point, light and sweet.  
  
Niall whines again in response, but Louis decides to leave him alone.

 

 

 

"Why would you ask Nick?" Louis complains, gesturing for Harry to look away while he takes his clothes off.  
  
"I hate Nick." he continues, as Harry tiredly presses his forehead to the wall, feeling like a kid who's been put into time-out.  
  
Last time he checked, he wasn't the one who acted funny.  
  
"Why were you and Niall kissing?" he asks instead of replying, waiting for Louis' permission to turn around.  
  
"What was that all about?"  
  
He's expecting an answer, but all he gets is an exasperated snort.  
  
"Where have you been all night?" Louis ignores him, making the bed squeak as he climbs onto it. "You left hours ago."  
  
Harry finally turns to look at him, jaw clenched so tight his head hurts.  
  
"Stop avoiding the question." he mutters, slowly walking towards the bed.  
  
"Stop asking it, then." Louis retorts, lifting himself up and onto his knees, maybe trying to make himself look a little bigger.  
  
Harry huffs out a laugh in response, he takes another step, so he can tower over him, remind him of how small he actually is.  
  
"Are you trying to intimidate me?" Louis snaps, grabbing on Harry's arms for support so he can stand up on the bed.  
  
Then he looks down at him, face scrunched up.  
  
"Don't you dare."  
  
Harry lets out the longest sigh he can manage, he bites his lip when he notices the way Louis' narrowing his eyes.  
  
"Are you trying to fight so you can distract me?" he understands, pushing on Louis' chest to make sure he loses his balance.  
  
The omega's eyes go wide as he starts falling, they go even wider when Harry catches him, pins him to the bed, climbs on top of him.  
  
"Why were you kissing him?" he asks him, wrapping a hand around his jaw. "Tell me."  
  
Louis' still trying to recover from the fall, chest rising and falling quick and angry, his breath coming out in small puffs against Harry's face.  
  
"Mind your business." he snarls, trying to shake Harry's hand off his jaw.  
  
The alpha leans closer, tilts his face up again.  
  
"You _are_ my business." he spells out. "Everything you do is my business."  
  
Louis licks his lips, a little surprised spark flicks into his eyes.  
  
Harry's scenting him, as discretely as he can, quietly breathing him in.  
  
"I was comforting him." Louis lies, trying once again to pry Harry's finger off his face. It doesn't work.  
  
He isn't really trying.  
  
"Bullshit." Harry readily retorts, resting a little more of his weight over Louis' body, but not enough to keep him from moving.  
  
Louis' not really trying to get out of his grip.  
  
"I was." he hisses, scratching at Harry's arm. "Stop insisting."  
  
Harry corks an eyebrow, he holds back a comment when Louis closes his legs, subconsciously trapping him between his thighs.  
  
"Stop lying to me." he tells him, unable to stop himself from leaning even closer, lips brushing against Louis' chin as he speaks. "You think you're that smart?"  
  
"Your cock's hard." Louis observes, yawning, crossing his arms over his chest. "You think you're believable?"  
  
Harry laughs against his neck, he scrapes his teeth over his bond mark, where their scents are tangled tight together.  
  
"Well," he rasps, resisting the urge to give him a little bite. "You're wet, but you don't hear me pointing that out, do you?"  
  
Louis plants his hands on his chest, legs squeezing harder around Harry's hips.  
  
"Don't rush it." he breathes, blinking slowly. "Want it slow." he adds, determined.  
  
It should have sunk in sooner, but Harry's only now realizing what Louis' talking about.  
  
"From behind." Louis' whispering. "Don't take my clothes off." he's instructing, as his hands reach up and settle on Harry's shoulders, pulling him in. " 'm cold."  
  
"You won't be cold when I'm all over you." Harry reassures him, nuzzling his neck.  
  
Louis pushes him away.  
  
"I don't want you to undress me." He repeats, clenching his fists against Harry's chest.  
  
The alpha responds with a little annoyed grunt, but he's already flipping Louis onto his stomach.  
  
"How do you expect me to fuck you if you keep your clothes on?"  
  
Louis' got it all figured out, he's pulling his sweats down, just enough to have Harry cursing at the sight of his ass, and "Like this." he simply informs him, shifting his weight onto his knees.  
  
The alpha leaves a dry kiss on the back of his neck, wrapping his hand around it the following moment.  
  
"Yeah." Louis encourages him. "Hold me still."  
  
So Harry immediately tightens his grip on him, pushing his face into the pillow as he positions himself behind him, cock pressed between his cheeks, way too many layers still separating them.  
  
Louis likes it, but just for a moment, it's just a split second before he wants "More.".  
  
"So what were you doing?" Harry starts over, using his free hand to check on the situation.  
  
Louis stops breathing as soon as Harry's fingers rub on his wet hole.  
  
Harry hums, pleased, and quickly moves his hand, patiently settling it on the back of Louis' thigh.  
  
"Not fair." Louis huffs out, struggling against Harry's grip to get his face out of the pillow. "Ask me when we're done."  
  
He hears Harry chuckling behind him, feels him dig his fingers into his inner thigh.  
  
"What if it were me, kissing someone else? Would you shut up about it?"  
  
Louis hisses in response, he bites on the fingers Harry offers him, before sucking them into his mouth.  
  
"I'll let it slide this time, because Niall's an omega." Harry laughs, looking down at Louis, cock throbbing now.  
  
"Can't give you what you need." He rasps, pushing his fingers deeper inside Louis' mouth. "Only I can give you what you need."  
  
Louis bites down on his fingers again, harder, then he open his mouth until Harry gives up and takes them out.  
  
"Then fucking do it." Louis grits out, before Harry shoves his face back into the pillow, shutting him up.  
  
"Your mouth's the problem." Harry tells him, finally tugging at his own pants to get his cock out. And he can't keep from touching himself while he looks at him, ass up, face down, little hole all slicked up and begging for it, anger and arousal coursing through him to the point where Harry can clearly feel it in his own veins.  
  
"You either talk too much or kiss other people, that's the problem." Harry rambles, resting his erection between Louis' butt cheeks as he does, stealing some of his wetness. "I should stuff it full with cock all the time, don't you think?" He pants, refraining from pushing inside of him, even when Louis tries to meet him halfway. "Would that work?"  
  
Louis tries to hide his whimper with a little muffled laughter, but the way his body is reacting to Harry's words gives him away.  
  
"You want it inside?" The alpha whispers, roughly pulling him up so he can speak. "Want my cock inside you?"  
  
Louis nods at first, but it's not long before he realizes he needs to say it, it takes even less for him to "Yes." Admit. "I do.", all it takes is the tip of Harry's cock threatening to slip inside.  
  
Harry bends over him, loosening his hold on Louis' neck only slightly, brushing his lips over his ear to "Are you gonna tell me the truth?" Ask him. "If I give it to you, will you be able to keep this up?"  
  
The sound coming out of Louis' mouth is something between a needy whine and an exasperated little growl.  
  
"Can't make up your mind, baby?" Harry whispers to him, one hand still stroking his cock, feeling Louis' slick coating the tip. "How 'bout I give you a little taste while you think about it?"  
  
And before Louis can reply, Harry finally slides inside of him, just a couple inches, just the right amount of cock to have his omega gasping and melting beneath him, legs spreading to welcome him inside.  
  
"Does that help?" Harry pants, still holding onto his erection to keep himself from thrusting in deeper. "Are you ready to talk to me?"  
  
Louis laughs again, but it's different this time. It's pained and breathy and sweet, ready to give in.  
  
So Harry kisses the side of his neck and he breathes in, gets himself ready to let go of him.  
  
When he pulls out Louis' whole body protests, shaking violently beneath him.  
  
"Harry-" he chokes out. "Inside."  
  
And Harry was thinking the same exact thing, it's not like he has a choice at this point, but "I'm the only one who can kiss you." he grunts, biting gently at Louis' jaw. "And touch you and fuck you. Just me."  
  
Louis' breathing is regular again, his senses flaring up to listen to his alpha, feel him on his skin.  
  
That's why he tilts his head up, pressing his face against Harry's teeth, and Harry bites a little harder, licks his jaw to soothe the pain and does it again, teeth carefully nipping at the sharp bone.  
  
"I was just-" Louis finally breathes, voice feeble and sweet. "Teaching him."  
  
Harry moves down to his neck then, leaving wet kisses on Louis' burning skin.  
  
"Teaching him?" He asks. "Teaching little Niall how to kiss? What else are you gonna teach him? How to be a little brat? How to lie? How to give a little show for Nick and Greg when his alpha's not looking?"  
  
And he hears it, the way his tone is dropping steadily, words pouring out fast and harsh, but he can't put a stop to it.  
  
He lines up with Louis' opening again, making sure the omega can feel him there, waiting until Louis pushes back against him, blindly moving his hips until he manages to suck him back in.  
  
"Some things you can't teach." Louis informs him, circling his hips while Harry holds still, tearing a long, deep moan out of him.  
  
The alpha lets go of his neck to rest both hands over Louis' thighs, roughly pulling him back against himself, his cock sliding all the way in.  
  
"Next time I catch you-" he grits out, thrusting in again.  
  
Louis mewls in response, he holds himself up and arches his back, giving Harry a glimpse of his soaked pants, of his smooth curves, of his little hole squeezing tight around his cock.  
  
"What?" Louis challenges. "What's gonna happen the next time you catch me?"  
  
Harry growls low in his throat, and Louis feels it running down his spine, feels it echoing into his own body.  
  
"Gonna give me a lesson?" he presses, voice slipping away as Harry picks up the pace. "What are you gonna do?" he croaks out, biting his tongue when Harry's hand falls heavy on his ass, then travels up his back, gripping on his shirt and shoving him back down.  
  
"Gonna keep you on your knees," Harry finally tells him, fucking him hard and deep, making sure Louis can no longer talk, keeping him busy whimpering instead. "Feed you my cock for hours."  
  
He feels Louis' muscles contracting around his cock, locking him in.  
  
"Gonna keep you on your knees while you suck on my cock, watch you get all wet and whiny and desperate for me."  
  
And it happens again, Louis lets out a high-pitched moan and his body does the rest, getting tight and hot around Harry's flesh.  
  
"Won't give you my cock until you beg for it." the alpha continues, as his thrusts get more erratic, chasing the high. "That won't take you long, baby."  
  
It's Louis' body who answers, again, flesh closing up around Harry's cock, his omega's orgasm hitting him just as hard, trying to push him over the edge.  
  
But Harry fucks him through it, he holds back, he holds Louis still and he fills him up, shoving himself deep inside of him one last time, before he needs to stop.  
  
"And when you're all covered in my cum-" he hisses, spilling all over Louis' back, "I'll ask you who you belong to."  
  
And maybe it's because Louis' still coming down from his orgasm, maybe it's because Harry's sucking a bruise into his shoulder, using his teeth and his lips and his tongue to mark him, maybe it's the heat of the moment, because Louis lets out a long, pleased breath, he reaches back to tangle his fingers in Harry's hair and "You." he sighs.

 

 

 

"You should be there, too." Louis mumbles, smelling the candles again, one by one. "We got them together."

Harry watches him breathe in and close his eyes, wonders if Louis actually wants to keep them for himself, at least some of them.

"Do you wanna eat?" he replies. "Because if you do, I need to go hunting."

Louis' head snaps up.

"Then I'll give him his presents when you're back." he snarls, shoving the candles back into the bag. He drops one, but he pretends like it never happened.

"Fine." Harry laughs, crouching down to retrieve it.

Louis reaches his hand out but Harry ignores him, he turns his back to him, settles the candle on his nightstand.

Louis doesn't protest.

"I'll see you in a bit, then." Harry says, walking him into a corner despite Louis' furious expression, despite the way he's smacking his hands against his chest as he helplessly steps backwards.

"Be good." Harry tells him, when Louis' back is finally pressed against the wall. "Don't miss me too much."

Louis stomps on his foot then, but Harry barely feels it, he doesn't react just to annoy him a little more.

"Don't go around kissing everyone." He adds, smirking at the way Louis averts his gaze. "And try to stay inside."

"Is that all?" Louis snaps, shoving angrily at his chest. "Will you leave me alone, now?"

Harry shakes his head at him, he leans in and "Give me a kiss." he tells him.

Louis snorts in response, he even laughs a little, but he still can't bring himself to look up at Harry's face.

"It's dangerous out there." Harry reminds him, petting his hair. "Who knows what might happen to your alpha."

"Stop it." Louis hisses, tilting his head up to glare at him. "Don't play like that."

Harry chuckles, he grabs his face before Louis has enough time to look away again.

And he stares at him, he keeps quiet for a while, looking directly into his eyes, catching the way Louis' pupils widen in response.

"Might not come back at all." Harry insists, shrugging. 

Louis' fist hits him right in his ribs, killing his laughter on the spot.

"I said stop." he snarls, attempting to hit him again.

Harry grabs his wrists though, pins them to his own chest while Louis squirms and hisses, and he yanks him forward, making him stop.

"Give me a kiss, then." he repeats.

Louis seems to think about it, looking up at him with his blue, angry eyes, annoyed pout curling his lips.

"Fine." he finally grits out. "As long as you fuck off."

 

 

 

Louis was worried he'd find him under the table, still trying to come to terms with the fact they got busted making out.

But no, he was wrong.

Here he is, sweet Niall, clapping his hands excitedly every time someone comes over to wish him a happy birthday, shoving snacks in everyone's face, running around the house with the biggest smile on his face.

"Didn't know Niall was this popular." Louis comments, trying to count the people crowding the living room.

Zayn replies with a little shrug.

"What?" Louis insists, pulling Zayn into a more private spot. "Am I missing something?"

Zayn places a cigarette between his lips, then he shakes his head, he remembers Niall asked him not to smoke in the house, he puts it back in the pack.

"Everyone loves Niall." He simply says. "I mean," he continues, throwing a glance in his direction. "How could you _not_ love him?"

Louis turns around and starts looking for his little blonde head, he sees him hide his face into his jumper as everyone sings the good old _happy birthday to you_ , and that's when he realizes he's singing it too, he just can't help it, can't help smiling at Niall's attempt to hold back his tears.

Yeah.

He sees Zayn's point.

 

 

 

"What took you so long?!" Louis snarls as soon as they're out of Niall's house.

Harry just smiles at him, he wraps an arm around Louis' shoulders as they walk to their cabin, and Louis is glad everyone's inside already.

"Did you have fun?" Harry asks him, holding him close and looking down at him, pleased smirk on his lips despite Louis' glare. "Niall looked happy."

Louis tries to shrug him off again, he fails, he quickly snatches the key out of his hands while Harry is still too busy laughing at him.

He's unlocking the door when he feels Harry's hands on him again, pulling him back until Louis' tightly pressed to his chest, and then he easily spins him around, mouth to his ear when "Wait a second." he whispers. "What's going on there?"

Louis lets out a little gasp, eyes fixed on what Harry's finger is pointing at.

"Where's Liam going?" Harry presses, all the muscles in his arm readily flexing to shove Louis back against his chest as soon as the omega tries to break free. "Wishing Niall a happy birthday after everybody left. Weird." he continues, unfazed, big smile on his face once he realizes how frustrated Louis is getting, how fast his heart is beating.

Louis swallows dry, panic overflowing his bloodstream with every step Liam takes towards Niall's cabin, and he wishes he could fucking yell at him, that idiot, he specifically told him to wait until he and Harry were inside their cabin.

Liam Payne, _you idiot_.

"Does this have anything to do with your kissing lessons, I wonder." Harry's telling him now, not struggling one bit to grab both of Louis' wrists into one of his hands, squeezing lightly when Louis sucks some air in and tries to reply. "Guess it does." Harry concludes, keeping his nose in the crook of Louis' neck, but his eyes steady on Niall and Liam.

And there they are, all of Louis' efforts to keep this out of Harry's sight, shattering right before their eyes as stupid Liam Payne holds Niall into his arms, whispers something to him - something _stupid_ , for sure - looks at his face one last time and then, finally, he kisses him.

"Isn't that sweet." Harry grumbles into his neck, low and annoyed.

Louis lets out a noise he's never heard himself make before, a tiny, pathetic, ashamed whine, and it's exactly what Harry wanted to hear, judging by his laughter. But what really kills him is what Harry tells him next.

"You're lucky Liam asked for my permission, first."

Louis bites hard on the inside of his cheeks as the humiliation settles in his veins, as Harry's teeth sink carefully into his neck, not directly into his bond mark, but close enough to have Louis shivering.

And what he would really like to do is give up and tilt his head right now, give Harry better access, reminding him that yes, Louis is not that smarter than him, he might as well give him permission to finish the job.

But he's had enough.

He's so frustrated he wants to disappear, he just needs to go hide somewhere and scream and punch something and cry in shame and scream some more.

That's exactly what he needs to do, so he starts with jumping right on Harry's feet, he digs his nails into his arm to get him to let go of him, but his teeth are what really does the trick.

Harry scolds him with a little growl, but he lets him go.

"I hate you." Louis hisses, unlocking the door. "I really do." he snarls, as Harry chuckles and slaps his bum to push him inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your support <3  
> I love reading your comments, finding out what you think, realizing that it's hard and it takes time and efforts and willpower but, in the end, it's worth it.  
> Thank you <3
> 
> In Harry Styles' words:
> 
> Kissy .x


	38. The table

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is useless and almost irrelevant, I know.  
> But let's consider it a little Christmas present and get it over with.  
> Please forgive me for taking my sweet time with this? It's harder than it looks.  
> But I'll try to work on it during the holidays. Please be patient <3
> 
>  
> 
>  

"Louis, get out of there." Harry tries again, crouching down. "Come on."  
  
The omega kicks him as soon as Harry reaches out to touch him, "Go away!" he yells, curling up again.  
  
Harry lets out an exhausted sigh.  
  
He's never heard of omegas seeking comfort under tables, but it's a thing apparently.  
  
Or maybe Louis' been hanging out with Niall a little too much.  
  
"I'll leave if you get out of there." Harry offers, still refusing to get up. "You're not making any sense."  
  
"I don't care." Louis whines, scrunching up his nose. "It makes sense to me."  
  
Harry frowns at him.  
  
Louis' frustration won't fade, it's only been getting worse over the past few hours.  
  
And it's not like Harry's doing fine.  
  
Sleeping on the couch and away from his omega is never easy on his nerves.  
  
He's been trying to touch him and he's considering just yanking him out of there, fuck his patience and fuck his manners, Louis' being unreasonable to say the least.  
  
"Let me get this straight." He grits out, giving up and sitting down on the floor, where he can get a good look of Louis' furious pout. "I catch you doing something you're not supposed to do-"  
  
"Says who?" The omega snarls.  
  
Harry snarls back at him, but his way is much more effective.  
  
Louis startles, he bites his lip, he goes quiet.  
  
"And you're the one who gets mad?" Harry continues, getting his temper back under control. "Maybe you should try to apologize."  
  
Louis' rage surges back up, he quickly pushes himself up to his knees, then he gets on all fours, he crawls up to him.  
  
And there he is, an inch from Harry's face, squinting his blue eyes at him like he's about to bite his smirk off, and all Harry can do at this point is just throw his brain out the window.  
  
Louis realizes he's made the wrong move when Harry's hands are already on his shoulders and pulling him forward, but he somehow manages to get out of his grip, spin around, attempt to crawl away from him, but Harry's sick of this, he's late and he's over it, Louis can scream all he wants.  
  
"I'm not leaving you under a damn table, Louis." he states, finally able to hold him still and close, both his arms wrapped around him, and yes, Louis is squirming and he's hissing and he's still trying to get away, but at least they're touching now.  
  
"Go be miserable in bed. " Harry continues. "Or on the couch, I don't care."  
  
"Or you'll do what?" Louis spits out, sinking his teeth into Harry's shoulder this time.  
  
The alpha lets him, he loosens his grip, but not enough to set him free. Not yet.  
  
"I'll throw the table into the fireplace."  
  
The omega draws back, his little hands still planted on Harry's chest, keeping him at a distance.  
  
And he's going through it again, that moment where he's not sure how serious Harry really is, how extreme he can be when he acts up this way.  
  
"Then I'll hide under the bed." He chirps, proud, determined, but his tone is changing, his confidence is slipping away.  
  
"That means I'll throw the bed into the fireplace, as well."  
  
Louis frowns at him, he digs his nails into his chest.  
  
"I'll hide into the closet." he argues, with an unimpressed shrug. "Into the cabinets, behind the couch-"  
  
"We'll run out of furniture, eventually." Harry points out, calmer now, soothed by Louis' smell, even though it's an angry, irritated mess, it's still good enough.  
  
"And what's with the hiding, anyway?" he asks, tilting his head. "It doesn't change the fact I'm smarter than you."  
  
That has Louis laughing, it has him biting on his nails as he does, the muscles in his back tensing up under Harry's hands.  
  
"If you're smarter than me," he's spelling out, curling up his lip to expose his harmless little teeth. "How come I trapped your ass?"  
  
Well.  
  
He does have a point.

 

 

 

Niall's in love.  
  
Niall's in love with Liam in a way that makes Louis whine and moan and roll his eyes, in a way that makes him regret ever getting in the middle of this.  
  
He's in love in a way Louis' only seen in cheesy movies, with the sighs and the dreamy eyes and the stupidest smile you could ever see on someone's face.  
  
And yes, he knew this would happen, he _made it_ happen, but he never thought it would be this...  
  
This.  
  
"And he's so sweet," Niall's telling him, batting his eyelashes over his blue eyes, cheeks flushed impossibly red. "He's so careful, with the way he touches me, with the way he talks to me. He's perfect."  
  
Louis' considering crawling under Niall's table now, but Harry might throw it into the fireplace if he ever finds out.  
  
There must be a way to make him stop.  
  
"He's so handsome, I still can't believe he likes me." Niall squeaks. "He's the most attractive alpha on the planet, isn't he?"  
  
Louis considers answering his question, but it doesn't take him long to realize Niall's opinion wasn't meant to be argued with. "He's just perfect."  
  
And Louis really thought the morning sickness phase was over, but he really feels like throwing up.  
  
"Oh, Louis, you were right." Niall tells him. "It just came natural, it just happened and it was so-"  
  
"Perfect?" Louis grunts, sticking his hands into his own hair to keep himself from slapping him.  
  
"Yes!" Niall squeals. "Perfect." he laughs. "It was perfect."  
  
That word has lost its meaning an hour ago, when this all started, when Louis thought seeing Niall would be a nice way to pass the time and forget all about Harry busting him and humiliating him and getting him out of his hiding spot.  
  
But no, it was a stupid idea.  
  
Stupid, stupid, stupid idea.  
  
"Perfect." Niall's saying. "Perfect. Perfect."  
  
Louis can only blame himself for this.  
  
Maybe Niall's watched too many of those cheesy movies Louis hates, maybe his idea of love is all twisted and it's too late to slap some sense back into him.  
  
Maybe he's just in love.  
  
Niall's in love in an unbelievable way, in way Louis' made fun of for his entire life.  
  
He's in love in a way Louis can't stop, can't argue with, can't be really mad about.  
  
Niall's in love in a way Louis would like to understand.

 

 

 

"Disgusting." Louis mutters, throwing his coat on Zayn's floor. "Disgusting." He grits out. "Disgusting."  
  
The beta chuckles, he shares his tea with him.  
  
"No, it's not." he disagrees, nudging him. "It's- what's the word?"  
  
Then he looks up, he knits his eyebrows, he lets his eyes wander for a while.  
  
"Oh, yes." He nods. " _Perfect_."  
  
Louis groans.  
  
"Please, Zayn, I beg you." He whines. "Please build a time machine."  
  
"So we can stop the world from ending?"  
  
Louis finishes his tea, because he deserves it and because he needs it and because Zayn's fucking with him.  
  
"So I can kill Liam Payne when I still have the chance." he spells out, exasperated.  
  
Zayn shrugs, he looks inside the empty cup Louis hands him.  
  
"Thought you'd stop yourself from getting bonded." he points out, smirking at Louis' glare.  
  
"Unless-"  
  
"Don't even." Louis snarls, sticking his elbow into Zayn's ribs. "Don't."  
  
The beta huffs out a pained laugh, he gets up from the couch and he moves away, where Louis' foot can't reach him, before he "But you know what?" asks him, with the tip of his tongue stuck between his white teeth, with his _I'm about to roast you_ smile.  
  
"Maybe you shouldn't." he says. "This way works. This way is-"  
  
"Perfect!" Louis yells, hiding his face into a cushion.

 

 

 

"No, I don't think so." Louis warns, holding onto the covers. "You're sleeping on the couch."  
  
Harry sniffles, unimpressed, he takes his jeans off in response.  
  
"I'm sleeping in my bed." he clarifies. " _My_ bed."  
  
Louis sits up.  
  
" _Your_ bed?" he hisses. "Why don't you go fuck _your_ self?"  
  
Harry chuckles, he takes his shirt off.  
  
"Why don't you shut _your_ mouth?" he retorts, inexplicably amused. "And move _your_ ass, so I can get under the covers."  
  
Louis laughs, too loudly to sound sane, he crosses his arms over his chest, over the layers of clothes he's wearing.  
  
"I'm not sharing the bed with you." he declares. "You're sleeping on the couch." he adds. " _Your_ couch."  
  
Harry corks an eyebrow, he unties his hair.  
  
Louis' staring at him, glaring and hyperventilating, and Harry's getting closer now, he's staring back at him as he sticks his hand under his side of the mattress.  
  
When he takes out the magazine, Louis' determination shatters, it turns into sheer agony right before his eyes.  
  
Harry straightens his back, he clears his throat, he licks the tip of his finger as he flips through the pages.  
  
"If your omega acts like a little brat," he says, bringing the magazine closer to his face.  
  
He hears Louis whine, hears him getting out of bed, run towards him.  
  
"Do you spank his round little ass until he begs for forgiveness?" he continues, unfazed, even as Louis hops on his back, bites down on the back of his neck.  
  
"Stuff his cute little ass full until he begs for forgiveness?" he insists, even as Louis uselessly attempts to rip the magazine out of his hands, as he scratches his nails over his arms, as he pulls on his hair.  
  
"Kick him out of _your_ bed and into the woods and tie him to a tree until he understands you're smarter than him-" he stops talking, because Louis' pressing both hands to his mouth now, so Harry throws the magazine into a wall, he spends a good minute getting Louis off of himself and onto the bed, trapping him under his weight and under his incensed stare.  
  
"Until he understands you're stronger than him," he pants, pinning his wrists to the bed. "And begs-" he huffs out, when Louis' knee catches his stomach by surprise. "for forgiveness?" he grits out, spreading his legs and pressing himself against him until Louis' finally unable to move, to speak, to fight back.  
  
The omega lets out a long, yielding breath, he bites on Harry's mouth when the alpha tries to kiss him, quick and mean and harsh, keeps digging his teeth into his lips until Harry snaps and growls at him.  
  
Then he smiles, like he's just defeated him, like he's never been prouder of himself, and he shrugs, he licks his lips.  
  
"I'll go with option two, if you don't mind." He mewls, hushed and sweet.  
  
Harry's nostrils flare at the change in his scent, his cock starts fattening up before he can even consider keeping up the fight.  
  
"No biting." he warns, getting close again, his mouth desperate for his omega's taste. "And I want you naked."  
  
Louis laughs, he squirms around until Harry lets go of him, he takes advantage of his free hands to pull on his hair again, but he pulls him closer, so the alpha says nothing, he grinds down against him instead.  
  
"Do you really expect me to listen to you?" Louis murmurs against his lips, right before biting them again, licking them, sucking on them until Harry moans into his mouth.  
  
"Do you even want me to?" he asks, letting his hands travel down Harry's stomach, find his erection, squeeze it through the fabric of his briefs.  
  
Harry's not going to answer that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you had fun <3
> 
> I miss you guys * ^ * Feel free to talk to me, here or on [MY TUMBLR](http://smokingluckiesalltheway.tumblr.com)! <3, if you feel like it.
> 
> Love .x

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, dear reader <3  
> I'm a sucker for Larry, zombie AU and drama. So here you go!  
> This fic is my baby, so be kind.  
> Let me know what you think and feel free to point out any mistakes (forgive my Italian ass for typos and such).  
> Enjoy <3


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